


Ghost Story

by TheAlwaysUsedTeaBag



Series: You Get To Choose [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alexander had a horrible past (tm), Awkward Crush, Best Friends, Crushes, Curses, Forests, M/M, Post-Break Up, Secret Crush, Spirit - Freeform, Spirits, forest spirit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 05:11:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14348640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAlwaysUsedTeaBag/pseuds/TheAlwaysUsedTeaBag
Summary: Alexander turned on his flashlight, frowning deeply and glaring at it when it didn't turn on right away. John was doing the same with his flashlight, but he didn't glare at it while Thomas, fucking Thomas, was snickering in the driver seat, James sitting next to him, a calm or unimpressed expression on his face as he stared ahead watching the trees lining the old and barely usable road. Eventually, finally, they arrived at an old parking lot, everything abandoned and full of trash, yet everything was overgrown as well. Thomas parked the car and turned around to John and Alexander, the latter glaring daggers at him. Thomas smirked."We're here, losers! Now get out there and survive the night," he snickered and James rolled his eyes."It's a forest, near a city, with scarcely any animals reported to be living here other than foxes. I think we'll do just fine," John explained, casually playing with the flashlight."Oh, don't tell me, you haven't heard the story?" Thomas asked with the smuggest smirk on his lips that Alexander or John had ever seen."Which story?"





	Ghost Story

**Author's Note:**

> This. Is. Long. I should be studying for history, but who does that? (I do and I should, but I'm not gonna right now, for I shall procrastinate, as always.)  
> Anyway, I hope you can enjoy this... thing... whatever it is...

Alexander turned on his flashlight, frowning deeply and glaring at it when it didn't turn on right away. John was doing the same with his flashlight, but he didn't glare at it while Thomas, fucking Thomas, was snickering in the driver seat, James sitting next to him, a calm or unimpressed expression on his face as he stared ahead watching the trees lining the old and barely usable road. Eventually, finally, they arrived at an old parking lot, everything abandoned and full of trash, yet everything was overgrown as well. Thomas parked the car and turned around to John and Alexander, the latter glaring daggers at him. Thomas smirked.

"We're here, losers! Now get out there and survive the night," he snickered and James rolled his eyes.

"It's a forest, near a city, with scarcely any animals reported to be living here other than foxes. I think we'll do just fine," John explained, casually playing with the flashlight.

"Oh, don't tell me, you haven't heard the story?" Thomas asked with the smuggest smirk on his lips that Alexander or John had ever seen.

"Which story?" Alexander raised a brow in question, "The one with the bully-victim who was beaten to death here and is supposedly haunting the northern part of this forest? The-"

"Shut up, Hamilton, I'm not talking about those. They're clearly all fake," Thomas scoffed and James raised a brow.

"The bully-victim was in the news, Thomas," James scowled and Thomas' eyes widened as James seemed to take this somewhat personally.

"Not that part, Jem, I mean the ghost part! That is clearly fake! But no, I got a better story," he quickly recovered and grinned maliciously down at Alexander and John.

"A ghost story I presume?" John asked, neither he nor Alexander looked very impressed.

"Wow, you're an awful audience for stories, you know," Thomas frowned and Alexander shrugged. He didn't care. "Anyway, let's spice this up. Jem, music."

James sighed, almost groaned and leaned over to pick up his bag and pulled out a CD, putting it into the slit by the car's radio, turning the volume down a bit, because he knew Thomas liked to play his music loud. Suddenly, a creepy tone came out from it and an even creepier sort of music started playing.

"Wow, you're putting effort into trying to scare us. I'm almost impressed, this is the first time you put any effort into anything," John chuckled and Alexander laughed. Thomas rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, story time! Out there, deep within the forest, lies a grave. One, single, lonesome grave. No one knows how it got there, no one knows the person that is buried there. There is no date of birth, only the date of their death. Who lies buried there has remained a mystery, for years a mystery unsolved, until, one day, a group of teenagers, a month or two away from adulthood, passed through this forest, at night. They thought nothing of it, sobered up from a party they had just been to, just trying to get home, and taking a shortcut. They stumbled upon this grave, and they found it curious to find a grave, in the middle of the forest. But then, one in the group, a short girl, with shoulder length hair, was grabbed and dragged away from the group! She screamed, she cried, and the thing that had grabbed her silenced her forever, cutting off her head, severing it right from the neck and threw it at her best friend! When they looked to find whoever did this, terrified the same fate would befall them, they found a spirit staring, glaring back at them, with wide, burned eyes. Its entire body looked like it was burnt to a crisp not so long ago, its mouth hung wide open as its empty, soulless eyes glared into the very souls of these teenagers, and they ran, barely escaping the spirit's grasp, arriving right here," he pointed to the parking lot where they were, "For this is the only place where the spirit can't touch you."

Alexander, arms crossed, waited a moment longer, but seeing as Thomas didn't continue, he opted for raising an unimpressed brow at him.

"Wow, that was bad, even for you. I expected better from you, what the hell. My standards with you aren't even very high, and you didn't even manage to pass minimum," he rolled his eyes and John nodded.

"Yeah, that was weak, even for you," John nodded in agreement. Thomas growled, turning around to turn the music off.

"Well, weak or not, it's the story you should know because you," he reached for a plastic bag and threw it at Alexander, "Are going to go in there and get some of the earth from atop the grave. If you get that, you can come back early, if you don't you'll have to spend the night."

"Dude, tampering with graves? That's low for you to make us do, even for you," John scowled.

"For the record, I had nothing to do with this. I will claim deniability," James raised his voice slightly.

"Noted," Alexander said, quickly dismissing this and humming, "I am not really for this... Tampering with graves of some dude we don't know, that's just begging for trouble."

"Aww, are we superstitious?" Thomas teased with a smug smirk.

"Shut up, Jefferson, you avoid the number thirteen like the black death, you have no right to mock him," John growled, snatching the plastic bag from Alexander, "We'll get the earth, and when we're back, you get to go back and return it," he snarled.

"Psh, fine, you babies. Now, get out of my car," he spat and Alexander and John didn't have to be told twice and exited immediately.

"Use protection!" Alexander yelled into the vehicle before slamming the door shut, grinning when he saw Thomas get flustered, looking at him with such surprise that screamed 'how did he know', while James was sighing, covering his eyes, and so done with everything, though there was a flustered blush on his cheeks as well.

Alexander stomped over to John, their flashlights shining brighter together and piercing the darkness better.

"They are totally gonna fuck once we're out of sight, I can feel it," Alexander snarled and John rolled his eyes.

"Oh boy, here we go again," he smiled fondly and shook his head.

"Oh and this is just the perfect fucking opportunity to be smooth about it too! Alone together, in a car, in a creepy forest, at night, no less! The forest and the waiting will make James uneasy and scared and then Jefferson swoops in to comfort him. 'Oh James, there's no need to be afraid, I'm right here for you!'," he mimicked Thomas' voice and tone and John laughed.

"Man, you're a bitter ball of salt," he grinned and Alexander glared ahead.

"Well, I'm sorry, but that bastard stole him away from right under my nose, wooed and seduced him, the fucking demon," he spat, "And when they fucked here he will just rub it in, I can feel it coming! He'll rub it in my face that he has him all for himself!"

"Remind me not to fall in and then out of love with you, you're the most bitter ex I've ever met," John snorted and Alexander grumbled. After a moment of walking in silence, his expression fell from anger into resigned sadness.

"I just... I don't understand why. He just... he just broke up with me and I don't know why. What could Jefferson give that I couldn't? James never told me why he was breaking up with me, just that he wanted to break up, and next thing I know he's with Jefferson. What did I do wrong? Was I a bad boyfriend? I'm pretty sure I was at least decent? At least I was pretty sure... Is... why would he choose him over me? Was I not... good enough?" he said and John could hear in his wavering voice he was close to crying. John frowned in worry and threw an arm over Alexander and pulled him in a side hug.

"Fuck no, you're not gonna break out into tears on my fucking watch. You were an awesome boyfriend to him. James doesn't fucking know what he lost when he broke up with you. And being with Jefferson? Clearly he regretted breaking up and, knowing he can't really come back to you that easily, he settled for the sloppy second," John tried to comfort him but Alexander shook his head.

"No, he knows I would welcome him back with wide open arms. Fuck, I'm so easy, that's probably why he left me," he growled at himself and John shook his head.

"Dude, those are Jefferson's words, don't you dare use them yourself on yourself. Where's this coming from?" he asked and Alexander sighed. They stopped walking and Alexander kept glaring at the ground.

"Thanks for coming with me," he then quietly said, taking John by surprise.

"Well, of course, I demanded to come with you, with you agreeing to a bet by Jefferson," he snorted and Alexander nodded, a scowl on his lips.

"Well... I couldn't _not_ agree..." he began and John furrowed his brows.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, eyes narrowed in confusion.

"It was less of a simple bet and more of an 'if you don't do this I will tell everyone your secret' type of deal," Alexander admitted.

"Sec-" he stopped and his eyes widened in realisation, "What?! How in the fuck would he know?! Wait, you didn't tell him your secret to clarify he meant that secret, did you?"

"Wow, thanks, John, for believing in me. No, of course, not. I'm not stupid, I made him tell me... and he fucking knew... James... He must have gotten it from James... James and you were the only people who knew and now Jefferson knows and he threatens to tell the entire fucking school, and you know how people believe every fucking word out of his mouth!" he cried out, betrayal and pain coating his voice. John didn't know what to say, so he said nothing and simply held Alexander, his best friend and crush. "And the worst part is, I would still take him back. I'm so easy, so fucking easy, even after this I would take him back and love him again, and go on overly romantic dates with him and- Ugh! Why?!"

"C-come on, dude," John finally opted to say, after a whole three minutes of silence while Alexander suppressed sob and tear against his chest but was still trembling in anger, betrayal, hurt and pain and so many more emotions, John could hardly detect them all being felt, because they were all felt so at once he could barely tell the difference anymore. "We should get going and get this shit done then. Be back quick and get home. You can crash at my place."

"Okay..." Alexander mumbled, pulling away from John's warm embrace, and they continued onwards, wandering deeper into the forest, deeper, deeper, ever deeper. Eventually, John turned to look at Alexander.

"Do you think he lied about the grave? To trick us?" he asked and Alexander nodded.

"Obviously. I didn't trust him about that from the start. While I find the idea of spirits and ghosts really cool, I don't know how much I believe in them being actually real, or tangible enough to sever heads," Alexander said with a wave of his hand and John nodded, then grinned.

"Hey, if we die and become ghosts, let's be ghost buddies and scare people together, yeah?" he grinned widely and Alexander snorted.

"Deal, that sounds awesome. I wish I could haunt Jefferson and make him shit his pants. But the downside would be being around the prick, and I don't want that," he frowned and John groaned, nodding.

"That would be the literal wor- Holy shit," he suddenly gasped.

"Hm?" Alexander raised a brow at him and John pointed. Alexander followed his look and his eyes widened as much as John's. "Don't move," he hissed and they went completely still.

There, not sixty feet away from them, was a wolf, eyes glowing a bright red, caught in the light of the moon. John began to tremble in fear as the wolf was eyeing them and Alexander gulped.

"Wh-what do we do now?" John whispered, voice high and panicky.

"We walk away, slowly. Backwards, come on John. It's just like a big dog, if we run it will follow," Alexander explained, forcing himself to be calm for John's sake.

"How the fuck do you know that?" he hissed quietly, watching the wolf as it suddenly began approaching them. His breathing picked up considerably.

"Common fucking sense and don't you dare move now!" he hissed back, keeping still, as the wolf took a few more steps in their direction and then stopped. John was full on panicking now, grabbing Alexander by the arm.

He yelled, "Run!" and began running, dragging Alexander with him and forcing him to run as well. The wolf began pursuing them, and Alexander was endlessly grateful that he and John were more extremely quick runners, so they could at least keep some distance between them and the wolf for a short while. They didn't know where they were running, if this was even the right way back to the car, they had no clue. They just kept running and running and running until- 'fuck', Alexander thought and also yelled- John tripped over a ('fucking, bullshitting, bastard') root and fell so hard on his face it knocked him out cold.

"John!" he yelled back, and was just about to turn around and get him, when the wolf was suddenly so close to him. The wolf was just about to attack John, who lay helplessly on the ground. He abandoned all common sense, and he threw his flashlight at the wolf, immediately drawing its attention away from John. He ran, knowing that the wolf would follow him and hoping it would ignore John's limp body on the floor, hoping it wouldn't return, forgetting about him, or if it did, assume he was dead and not bother with him, while Alexander tried to banish that thought from his mind. He hoped that he would be the only one becoming wolf dinner that night, and that John would make it out alive. He so desperately hoped the wolf wouldn't come back for John and be satisfied with him.

But suddenly, and he never saw it coming because it was so (fucking!) dark out and the flashlight had been thrown at the wolf. He fell to the ground, harshly, his momentum throwing his forwards, head first into a pile of dirt. He lifted his head and spat it out, some had gotten into his mouth and he turned around once he heard the wolf running at him. He yelped and threw his arms over his head, hoping that death would come quick to get him, that the wolf would kill him quickly enough for it not to hurt as much for so long. He anticipated the blow, the teeth dragging open his flesh and ripping his face to shreds. The wolf attacked and Alexander tried to kick it, but the wolf caught his left leg between its teeth and tore on the flesh. Alexander screamed and screeched as the pain shot through his entire body, he felt like he was going to explode. Alexander waited for the wolf to kill him then, strike the finishing blow.

But it never came. The wolf let go of his leg and he anticipated another attack, but it never came. After a moment, silently anticipating death, he opened his tightly screwed shut eyes and chanced a look. The wolf was there, but it was backing off, backing away, tail caught between its legs and whimpering in fright or- and he halted- an apology? He glanced around rapidly, to try and find whatever was frightening the wolf.

He gasped and began backing away himself in fright, eyes blown wide in horror.

The spirit- he gasped as he saw it was a spirit because it was floating above the (fucking) ground- looked almost exactly as Thomas had described it and then some. The only difference was the face. Everything else looked burned and scarred and maimed, but the face, save for the left eye, was left unscarred, and the spirit had some sort of ethereal beauty about it, impossible to perceive its true nature. He gasped both in fear and awe as the spirit wandered forwards, approaching the wolf, who whined and whimpered under its unimpressed glare. Finally, the wolf ran away, in a completely different direction than John was lying.

The spirit turned to Alexander, and finally, he noticed what he was sitting on. The grave. It was the grave in Thomas' story, no date of birth, only a date of death on it, sitting there almost innocently, yet with a threatening presence about it. Alexander whimpered and scurried backwards, off of the grave, the spirits following without a word, and its gaze... softened as it looked upon Alexander.

"You poor soul," Alexander almost cried out when he heard this being speak. Its voice was soft and gentle, yet with an eerie moan to it. "You must be so scared and confused," it said and floated down to be on eye-level with Alexander.

"W-w-w-well, I-I-I..." he tried but failed to respond and the spirit smiled patiently, and Alexander couldn't help but think it looked cute. The smile was cute, and comforting and nice. A smile he could trust, he thought to himself. There was so much adrenaline rushing through him, he couldn't think straight.

"Don't worry, you're safe now. You had a friend with you, hadn't you? I heard him fall. Bring him here, he must be hurt, and it's not safe to lie about in this forest," it said and Alexander didn't have to be told twice, scrambling to get up, he ran. He ran to John, barely finding him and almost falling over him in the process, he still crashed onto the ground.

John was still unconscious and Alexander picked him, huffing, as heavy as John was on his smaller frame. He hissed as he felt a sudden pain in his left leg. He cursed and swore at the pain that shot through his leg and he almost fell again. In the rush of the moment, he had forgotten the wolf biting down on his leg. It was amazing he had run to John with it.

"Fuck, why are you so heavy," he cursed, trying to get John onto his back to be able to carry him better and maybe relieve the pain in his leg. He looked around, but with the darkness of the night, the trees blocking any light from the full moon, making it even darker and more impossible to see much. He couldn't find the flashlights they had dropped, anywhere and he cursed again. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck_! Where are they? Fuck, where do I even need to go? Fuck... Fuck, I'm lost..."

He proceeded to begin walking, hissing in pain every time he had to put any weight onto his left leg. He kept swearing and kept walking, despite the pain, though he didn't know where the fuck he was going, he just hoped he could find the street soon so he could carry John back to the car and get him to a hospital soon. John could afford it. He kept walking and walking, but he didn't come across the street anytime soon.

He gasped, then hissed as he stepped back in surprise onto his left leg and he fell down again, John on top of him. He had arrived back at the grave which, he noticed now, was in a small clearing. The moon shone brightly upon it, giving the clearing an eerie aura that he hadn't noticed before. He shuddered as he saw the spirit again, burnt and scarred, staring at him and John. Its look was so soft and sympathetic, but the way Alexander felt its gaze stare so deeply into his soul that he began trembling.

"You brought him back. Good," the spirit spoke and it voice made a shiver run down Alexander's spine. The spirit approached him again and knelt down on the ground in front of him and John. It picked up John's head and Alexander flinched.

"Don't hurt him!" he yelped, and the spirit halted for a moment, then smiled softly at him. Alexander's breath was caught in his throat.

"Don't worry," it smiled, "I'll just look and see if he is hurt too much to let it remain untreated. It appears he hasn't a concussion. Ah, I'm glad. He will have a headache when he wakes up, however. Would you like me to remedy this?"

"Uh... h-h-how do you mean?" he asked.

"I can give a little something that has healing properties and- Oh, dear, your leg?" it gently put John's head onto the ground into a comfortable position and floated to take a closer look at Alexander's leg. He hissed as it touched his leg and its head shot up to him in worry. "Oh, your poor creature! Here, let me help," it spoke, its voice turning so soothing and calm, the longer he listened to it the calmer and compliant he became, nodding quietly. The spirit came closer to him, closer to his face and before he could snap out of his odd trance, he felt the lips of this spirit on his. He gasped in surprise and felt a fluid enter his mouth and he gagged and he tried to pull away and push the spirit away from him, but it was so much stronger than he was, and he was too exhausted from everything to fight back for long. Eventually, he gulped down the liquid as it was pushed into his mouth. It didn't taste bad. It was like honey, but smoother, running down his throat so gently. His heart picked up a more steady, calm beat. The spirit's hand gently brushed over his cheek and- Alexander couldn't explain it, but- it helped to calm him down so much. He closed his eyes. He stopped caring, somehow, whether what was happening to him meant death for him in the end. He felt like he was melting, right then and there. Finally, the spirit pulled away with a soft smile and Alexander whimpered at the loss of contact, then promptly slapped a hand over his mouth as he realised that he had made that sound. The spirit giggled.

"What was that for?" he asked, a blush taking hold of his face, blooming darkly on his cheeks.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Perhaps I should have warned you before. Now, how is your leg?" the spirit put a hand to its mouth to hide its giggle. Alexander raised a brow in confusion.

"Well, it's still- Wait, my... the pain is gone... That's what you did?" he suddenly gasped and the spirit nodded. He looked at his leg, the wound was still there and gaping, but it didn't hurt anymore.

"I apologize if it was uncomfortable. But I am sure you had rather preferred a kiss of life to blood," its smile was hauntingly soft as it gently brushed along Alexander's cheek.

"So... can you do the same for John? You say he's not that hurt, but... I want to make sure he'll be okay after this... whatever this is..." Alexander asked, unsure of this entire situation, and not quite sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Ah, that would require for him to be awake..." the spirit mused, then pulled out a small phial with a dark liquid in it, handing it to Alexander, "However, as you seem so worried for your friend, have this. Put three drops into his next drink and whatever pains he will have will disappear, and he will be healed. Also, rub five drops of it onto your leg every two days. It will help speed up the healing process, but a scar will remain, I'm afraid."

"Th-thank you! I... Um... Could I, by any chance, ask some questions?" he asked and the spirit nodded with a fond smile.

"Of course, though, I do have some questions of my own, if you don't mind," the spirit said in return, "What brought you here?"

"Uh, well... A bet, more or less. There's this guy, a real asshole, threatened me to spill my secret to the whole damn school if I didn't go into this forest at night and stay until day... well, that, or get some earth from that grave and bring it back..." he grumbled and glared at the ground.

"Oh, that does not sound like a pleasant person, to force you to do this. Does he not know this forest is dangerous?" the spirit asked.

"Well, he knew of that damn grave... is that your grave?" he slowly asked and grew confused when the spirit shook its head.

"No, I was never human. I am a mere spirit, inhabiting this forest. However... it is the grave of... my love who betrayed me, to whom I owe my scars and burns..." the spirit suddenly looked so sad, and the sight opened a pit in Alexander's stomach.

"C-can't you heal yourself?" he asked and the spirit nodded.

"After his betrayal... I was so heartbroken... these burns and scars weren't inflicted by an outside force... When he broke my heart, all those bitter years ago... the pain, it maimed my body... the pain he caused me by breaking my heart and betraying me, it made these burns and scars appear... and I swore to never fall in love again, afraid I would be hurt again and... I let these scars remain on my body, a reminder of what was done to me..." it sighed and the sound made shot a pang of pain through Alexander's heart, cold and cruel.

"Wh-what's your name? I'm Alexander," Alexander said and the spirit looked up at him in surprise.

"It is quite dangerous to tell a spirit your name," the spirit informed him, though not in a tone that meant it would become dangerous to him.

"Well, you seem like a pretty decent spirit to me!" Alexander grinned nervously and the spirit gave an appreciative smile.

"Thank you, Alexander... Your tongue wouldn't be capable of grasping my name, so you may use the name I had chosen for myself. I am Aaron. I am very pleased to meet you, though perhaps the circumstances could have been more pleasant," the spirit chuckled, almost giggled and the sound rung in Alexander's ears like a soft bell and another blush crept onto his cheeks at the sight.

"You're gorgeous," he suddenly whispered with a soft gasp, then slapped a hand over his mouth in surprise, eyes blown wide open. Aaron looked at him surprised, a pool of blue appearing on his cheeks.

"Oh... thank you, Alexander. You look... quite nice yourself," Aaron smiled, and Alexander realised the blue on Aaron's cheeks was a blush.

"I'm sorry, I just... I just blurted it out without thinking and- boy, this is awkward, I'm so sorry," he rambled.

"Don't worry, I am... flattered," Aaron smiled kindly and Alexander smiled awkwardly at him.

"Well, I think we should... Ah, shit, we can't really go back yet," he scowled then and Aaron raised a brow.

"Oh? Pray tell, how come?" Aaron asked and Alexander groaned.

"Like I said, the bet was for us to either survive the whole night or get some earth from this grave and bring it back... Would there be a problem with that?" he asked and Aaron thought for a moment, before nodding.

"I suppose there won't be a problem. I chased his ghost off the moment he was buried. Though, should he protest about some dirt being stolen from his grave, bring it back here and I shall take care of him," Aaron growled the last words. Alexander nodded, got up, still amazed that his left leg was no longer in pain, and got some earth from the grave into the plastic bag they had brought with them.

"Bloody hell, finally, we can leave this creepy-ass forest. Thank you, Aaron, for helping us... Do you know where the, uh, the parking lot is?" he asked and Aaron tilted his head in thought, then shook his head. However, before Alexander could lament this, Aaron began floating upwards, above the crowns of the trees, and took a look around. The light of the moon shone brightly upon Aaron's skin, and he was nigh transparent, but somehow still glistened and Alexander gasped. Aaron finally floated back down to Alexander and pointed to the west.

"There is a car some quarter mile away in this direction. I suppose that would be the one you're looking for?" he provided and Alexander gasped a sigh in relief.

"Thank you, Aaron, thank you so much," he grinned and lunged forward to hug him. Aaron froze for a moment, before smiling and putting an arm in a semi-hug around Alexander.

"You're welcome, Alexander... If you'd like... you may come back any time. A visit perhaps? I did enjoy your presence and company," he smiled calmly and Alexander nodded.

"Well, I... Yeah, I suppose I could... come back for a visit... After how you've helped us, I feel I kinda owe you for it," Alexander smiled back, picking up John and shifting him so he would be on Alexander's back for him to carry him easier again.

"I shall look forward to it then. Do be careful on your way back," Aaron said and then, in an instant, disappeared. Alexander shook his head, careful to not drop either the phial, which, in hindsight, he should have put into his pocket, and the bag of dirt while carrying John on his back.

Alexander was not quite convinced this wasn't a dream. A wolf in a forest with none ever reported having been seen there, them outrunning that wolf for some time and then coming upon a spirit that healed him to some degree, and gave him a phial with a liquid supposed to heal John once he drinks some of it. Three drops, he remembered. He couldn't believe this was real, it was far too fantastical for him to believe, but it all felt so real he was very inclined to believe it was so.

Alexander kept walking with John on his back, and finally, finally, arrived back at the parking lot with the car. Alexander snarled and growled as he approached the car and saw Thomas and James making out. Thomas moved onto James' neck and, with a soft bite, made him moan. An angry blush came onto Alexander's cheeks and he kicked the door of the car, startling Thomas to jump up and scream while James only yelped and scrambled to turn around to find what had caused the noise, seeing Alexander and flushing anew, until he saw John's limp body on Alexander's back, his eyes then widening in concern and he opened the door.

"What happened?!" he yelped and scrambled to get John from Alexander's back and into the backseat of the car.

"I don't want to talk about it. Here, you got your bag of dirt, Jefferson. I want to get the fuck out of here," he made a knot in the plastic bag and threw it at Thomas, who only barely caught it.

"What the- you actually found a grave there?" he asked, eyes open and wide in fear. Alexander raised a brow.

"You were bluffing, I fucking called it. And yes, there was a fucking grave out there," he snapped and got into the car on the other side, avoiding James who was trying to get John properly into the car. Alexander groaned, grabbed at John and pulled him in, startling James. James then quietly closed the door and returned to his own seat.

"What's with the dirt on you two? Did you fall?" Thomas raised a brow, "And what's that blue and red stuff on your face?"

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Alexander asked in return and Thomas frowned in confusion.

"N-no?" he said, the look on his face betraying his statement, and James turned to look at Alexander concerned.

"Well, it wasn't a ghost," he snarled and stuck close to John, finally putting the phial in his pocket for tomorrow. "Now. You know where John lives don't you? Drive us there, drop us off, and fuck right off."

"Woah, wait, you're bleeding!" James exclaimed and Thomas' eyes widened and Alexander heard him mumble something about getting the blood out of the seats.

"Yeah. Must be the adrenaline, but I don't feel jackshit," he growled.

"Those are bite marks- what happened?" James asked with worry coating his voice, he was trembling with concern. Alexander growled.

"You're the animal expert with a hunter in the family. You tell me. My money's on wolf," he snarled and lifted his leg for James to see, who gasped as he identified the mark.

"That... those are... you were attacked by a wolf?!" he gasped.

"Well, it wasn't a ghost," he grumbled and put his leg down again, crossing his arms.

"We have to get you to a hospital," Thomas said and looked absolutely shocked to see Alexander shake his head.

"Are you stupid? Do I look like I can afford to go to the hospital?" he spat and Thomas growled in return, James looking helpless.

"You don't look like you can afford anything, you-"

"And there's your answer," he snarled and James still looked worried.

"But the wound-"

"I can't afford it to be done by a professional," he said and then, quieter, he added, "Wouldn't be the first time."

"What are you talking about 'wouldn't be the first time'?" Thomas' look was full of confusion, and he looked at James for an answer. Alexander glared at James 

"Drive, Jefferson," he spat, and Thomas growled, but turned around.

Thomas was quiet as he started the car, turned it around and began driving. Alexander remained dead-silent throughout the drive, glaring ahead. James chanced a look back, but he remained ignored in favour of the road ahead. James grew uncomfortable at the silence, so used to Alexander to start and keep talking continuously. James began rubbing his upper arms, as though he was cold. Thomas didn't know this was a sign he was uncomfortable, and instead turned on the heater. Alexander rolled his eyes, he was very aware of what James' body language meant but didn't comment on it in this moment. Thomas couldn't have known about this since James had developed this behaviour when he was uncomfortable when he had still been together with Alexander, and Thomas had been in France as an exchange student.

Finally, they arrived at John's house and Thomas perked up as Alexander exited the car and walked around it to get John.

"Wait, fuck, shouldn't we have gotten Laurens to a hospital?" he asked quickly and Alexander glared daggers at him.

"No. Also: fuck you. Turn off that fucking heater. He's uncomfortable, not cold. Dumbass," he snapped, grabbed John and carried him out of the car, kicking the door closed with his foot. He knew John's father wasn't home and he knew John kept his keys in his back pocket. Thomas flinched, and he winced when James nodded in agreement with Alexander. He carried John over to the door, not realising he was limping all the way, took out the key from his back pocket and opened the door, carrying John inside and onto the couch that was in the living room, before turning around to close the door. Before he could close the door, James had gotten out of the car and gotten to the door. Reluctantly, he leaned on the doorway and looked at James expectantly, a brow raised and an annoyed scowl on his lips.

"Alexander, I..." James tried and paused, nervous under Alexander's glare. Alexander remained calm, his glare softening. He knew a glare from him made James uncomfortable. He didn't like making James uncomfortable, his feelings for him still rather strong.

"What is it?" he asked, much too calmly and James cleared his throat, rubbing his upper arms.

"I'm... sorry. I never meant for him to find out, it... I just kinda blurted it, I was so used to casually mentioning it around you, and I wasn't thinking, I just blurted it out and then he asked about it and I panicked and- I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! If not for me being stupid none of this would have happened, I'm sorry," he apologized and Alexander sighed and looked to the side.

"Yeah..." Was all he managed to say before he closed the door in James' face and locked it. He didn't say what he had wanted to say. 'I'd still take you back', 'I fucking hate you for what you did', 'Don't ever come near me again', 'Why him?', 'What did I do wrong?'.

He didn't say any of those things, even though he desperately wanted to. He wanted to scream them in his face, demand explanations, but in the end, he just punished James with a vague 'yeah'. An acknowledgement of his apology, but neither rejecting nor accepting it. He knew it would cause James to overthink and worry, but that was kind of what he wanted. He knew that this would feel particularly bad, James would feel bad, guilty, responsible, but that's what Alexander wanted. Because he was hurt and he wanted him to know how that fucking felt like so... so that maybe other people would be spared of the same feelings. James had never told him why he wanted to break up, never gave a reason, and to Alexander, it had made no sense. Absolutely no sense. And the lack of a reason given, even a vague 'I don't think we're good for each other' made it so much worse. Perhaps, he thought, he knew why James hadn't given a reason. Alexander knew himself well, he knew that he would instinctively, almost like a reflex, argue the reason, rather, question how James had come to this conclusion. It would all be in a desperate quest to understand, so he could be at ease. But no. He hadn't even be granted this mercy, instead, he pondered for days and weeks on end about what he might have done wrong, what he might have done to upset James in any way. But he couldn't figure it out. He was tired, exhausted, and an emotional wreck for the weeks after their breakup. He didn't go after James, didn't follow him and didn't bother him. He knew that would have been a dick move, and he didn't want to be 'that guy'. The stalkerish ex-boyfriend. That just wasn't him. He wished he could have him back, yes, of course, he loved him, after all, but he knew it just wasn't happening. It wasn't going to happen, ever.

He sighed, leaning against the door, then groaned. He pushed himself from the door and walked over to John, who was still unconscious. He looked down at his leg and winced. It could have been worse, he told himself. He knew the wolf didn't bite down as hard as it could, his leg would be shattered if that had been the case.

"Whatever," he grumbled to himself, picking up John from the couch and carrying him upstairs and to his room, ignoring the pain that was slowly returning, gently dropping him onto his bed, getting to work, pulling off John's shoes and quickly changing him into a comfortable t-shirt and sweatpants. He then proceeded to throw the covers onto John. After that, he made his way to the closet. He knew his bag would be in there, and he pulled it out. After rummaging through it for a bit, he found what he was looking for. Needle and thread. He sighed and made his way to the bathroom, humming in surprise as he found his phone lying there. 

"That's where I left it..." he said to himself. He then rummaged through the medicine cabinet, finding painkillers, but he stopped. Aaron had told him to put five drops of the liquid onto his leg, and it would heal quicker. He wondered then if it would relieve him of the pain as well? He decided to try it, pulled out the phial from his pocket and let five drops of the strange, dark red liquid fall onto the wound in his leg. He prepared for pain, burning like he would with rubbing alcohol, but no pain ever came. Instead, as he began to rub it in, the liquid seemed to soothe him, the pain melting away, then his entire leg became numb. He prodded it with his finger, but felt nothing.

"Seems I won't waste painkillers after all," he said to himself. He looked at his phone, then picked it up and turned it on, cleaning his leg from the rest of the blood (it had stopped bleeding after Aaron had kissed him). He looked through his music, then found the one song he needed for this. He had had to stitch himself up often enough in the past to have developed a routine, and to have a song for it too. He remembered it was from a game, but he didn't remember which one.

The song began and he began singing along with it as he began to work, so glad and grateful his leg was numb. He took in a deep breath, pulled the thread through the needle, and he began his work stitching the wounds together, quietly singing along with the song as he worked:

"It seems like you need to be solaced  
Telling from the scratch on your knee  
You fell and got hurt in the process  
And now you come crying to me  
I catered for these circumstances  
And hence carry needle and stitch in my pants  
Don't worry, my dear  
There is nothing to fear  
Just a stitch and a sew  
Soon it's almost as new  
And the cut will adhere  
After all, you'll have to  
Admit it is not as severe" 

He sang the song quietly as he worked, humming through the parts he couldn't remember.

"Well don't give me that kind of look now  
Just keep going on so you will  
See how everything will end well, though  
It still may depend on your skill  
I catered for these circumstances  
And hence carry needle and stitch in my pants  
But yet needle and thread  
Can bear dangers instead  
If you're clumsy and plump  
And all fingers and thumbs  
It might just turn out bad  
'Specially when it comes  
To delicate operations like that  
Oh, I have needle and stitch right here  
Take care or you'll end up scarred, my dear  
I can't stand to watch children bleed"

He was done, much sooner than he thought. But then again, he reasoned, he usually had to put in breaks because of the pain, and with his leg being numb like that, he could operate on himself as though he were another person. It was easier, much easier, and, anew, he was grateful to make met the spirit in the forest. If not for Aaron, he realised, he would have been dead. He wrapped his leg in some bandages and made to get changed after he put everything away and cleaned it before. He had crashed at John's place often enough to have some spare clothes over as well in his bag. He got changed quickly enough, getting into the same bed and pulling some of the covers over himself, suddenly glad his friend was rich and could afford such a huge bed that they wouldn't squish each other, as often as Alexander was sleeping at his place.

He made sure to put the phial on the nightstand where he could see it well but John wouldn't see it immediately when he'd wake up in the morning.

 

Alexander woke up a few minutes before John did, his eyes darting over to the phial on the nightstand, concluding that no, last night hadn't been a dream and spirits were fucking real and so were ghosts, apparently, if the spirit had been serious. He slowly sat up in the bed, taking the phial into his hands and examining it. It was a dark red liquid inside, almost black and he made it slosh around inside the phial, curious what it really was. He then spotted light spots of blue, barely noticeable if you weren't looking for it or catching it by complete accident such as he.

Suddenly, John began stirring beside him, then winced and groaned loudly as his hands whipped up to his head and held it.

"Morning sleepy-head," Alexander chirped, though he was concerned for his friend, "Headache?"

"No shit, Sher- Wait, we're alive?! Ugh, fuck, my head..." he winced as he yelled. Alexander got up and headed to the door, phial in hand.

"Yeah, we are. I'll get you a glass of water and some of the medicine I got you on our way back, okay?" he said and left the room, not waiting for John to reply. He headed down into the kitchen and got a glass from the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of sparkling water, pouring it into the glass. 

He took out the phial from his pocket and looked at it again. He put in exactly three drops of whatever-it-was into the water and watched it dissolve in it. There wasn't even a tinge of red in the water, which relieved him but also confused him and he raised a brow at the glass. Eventually, he brought the glass upstairs to John, who gratefully took it and gulped it down without a second thought, drinking it all in a few large gulps as though he was a man who had not drunk a drop in ages.

There was a moment of silence, John panting lightly because of the pain and, suddenly, he stopped, halted in his movement completely, looked surprised down at the glass in his hands, then lifted one hand to feel it his head, confusion entering his face, then amazement.

"What did you put in here?" he asked, "My headache's completely gone!"

"Well, I got that medicine before Jefferson dropped me off here. I asked for medicine that was good for any pain. I didn't know exactly how you'd be in pain, but this guy gave me some pretty legit stuff, it seems, if your headache's already gone," he grinned and John mustered a smile.

"I can't believe we survived that... we fucking survived a wolf... How? I blacked out while it was still chasing us! What happened- Wait, Alexander, your- your leg!" he gasped and Alexander thought a moment, then opted for almost telling the truth.

"Well, after you tripped over that root and fell- which I don't fault you for, fucking dark as it was- I threw my flashlight at the wolf and I knew that if I kept running then it would forget about and not come back for you but instead go after me, because I pissed it off, so I kept running and leading it away from you. But then I also tripped and fell flat on my face. The wolf attacked me, but then it stopped and let go of me. It looked absolutely terrified and scurried off. Then I looked, and I noticed I had fallen, face first, onto the grave Jefferson was talking about in his story. So I did the most logical thing since the wolf had pissed off. I took earth from the grave, got you, figured out the way to the car, caught them making out like I fucking called it, found out Jefferson had been bluffing about the grave, but it was actually fucking there and I scared him with that and told him about the wolf- he was terrified by that, like he fucking deserves- then I demanded they take us here and here we are. Oh, and before all that, I got the medicine. Was a pretty nice guy, whom I got it from. When I got here I stitched myself up. I'm alright, don't worry," Alexander explained, leaving the very important part with Aaron the spirit out of his story. Nonetheless, John's eyes widened in awe.

"Alexander, you could have _died_ leading that wolf away from me!" John gasped and Alexander shrugged.

"Well, I thought, better me than you, in that moment. I don't know why I impulsively jumped to that, but I kept thinking that I didn't want you to die if I could have prevented it, even by my own death, you know?" he tried to explain, but even for him, it was a bit difficult. John was still amazed at this.

"Dude, you're my absolute hero right now. You would have sacrificed yourself to keep me alive? First of all, fuck no, don't ever even consider this, but also, I love you so much for this it's not even funny. But you fucking saved my life last night. I could have died, but you made sure I didn't!" John gasped and got up from the bed, pulling Alexander into a tight hug. "Thank you, but also don't ever risk your ass to save mine ever again. I don't want to see you dead either. And I hate myself that you got hurt and I couldn't help you."

"You just want to stare at this ass," Alexander teased and hugged back.

"That ass and the guy attached to it," John grinned, "But seriously, Alex, don't ever do that again, I could've lost you, and then what? You're lucky it only got your leg."

"Sorry, I'm selfish, I didn't want to feel bad at your death," Alexander pulled away slightly, in a way they were still hugging, and stuck out his tongue.

"Well, I'm selfish, too, and don't want to feel bad at your death, so cut it out. Thank you, but never do that again, am I clear?" he asked. Alexander pulled away completely.

"Crystal clear," he said with a smile, sitting down on the bed.

"So, did anything else happen?" John asked and Alexander thought back to last night. To James.

"James apologized to me... about spilling my secret to Jefferson... Said he was real sorry," he grumbled, glaring at the ground.

"How'd you reply?" John asked, sitting down next to Alexander, thighs touching.

"I said 'Yeah,' and I closed the door in his face," he said with a bitter snort. John snorted at this as well.

"Good response, leave him in the dark, that's good," John said, nodding, "Feed him his own medicine."

"I think that makes me a hypocrite..." he sighed, "Fuck, I'm such a mess about him. Whenever we change the topic to James I turn into a stupid mess!"

"A stupidly hot mess, you mean," John tried to lighten the mood, but it wasn't helping.

"No, just a regular stupid mess. Every single fucking time..." he groaned and John took a moment to think.

"Well, I mean, look on the bright side. One day, you'll be over him! But until that day comes, someone needs to distract you. And I volunteer to be that someone!" he grinned and, very platonically, nuzzled Alexander, making him giggle and laugh.

"What, are you suddenly running for 'Friend of the Year'?" he teased and John nodded.

"Well, of course! But you're some fierce competition, and I have to make sure I beat you in the contest this year!" he stuck out his tongue with a grin which Alexander returned.

"Oh, honesty! I believe that's worth 20 friendship points, good on you, John!" he grinned.

"Why thank you- Oh! Flattery! Also worth 20 friendship points! I said it before and I'll say it again, fierce competition," he gasped dramatically, and for a moment they were silent before they burst out into laughter and fell back onto the bed. Things were fine that day.

 

But not so much the days after that. Alexander wanted to go back to the forest, but John and his other friends kept him busy, especially when John had told them how Alexander had basically saved his life. He didn't quite deserve the praise, all he had done was run away to keep the wolf interested in him. It wasn't the most heroic thing, he thought, but apparently, his friends thought otherwise and kept celebrating him as a hero.

"Alexander, mon dieu, you are a hero! You saved petit John from being mauled by a wolf! But tell us, tell us the rest. You said there was a grave? Was there a ghost? A spirit?" Lafayette asked excitedly, his French accent more pronounced than usual.

"There was a grave, yeah. Why do you want to know if there was a ghost?" Alexander asked in return.

"Because, my dearest Alexander, I want to know if your ghosts and spirits are any different from those we have in France!" Lafayette explained like it was entirely logical and obvious.

"You believe in ghosts, Laf?" Hercules asked, curious and Lafayette nodded slowly.

"Of course! What else do we do after we pass to the other side? We come back and visit, of course!" Lafayette beamed and everyone laughed.

And, eventually, someone had to eavesdrop on these conversations and told the whole school about it, blowing the original story way out of proportion. He and John were now constantly harassed for the next two weeks and Alexander hailed as a hero, which he did not want, absolutely not. He was constantly asked about the bite, and to show them. Eventually, he only came to school with shorts so that he would only have to throw his leg onto the table for people to gawk at. He didn't want to brag, but he thought he had done a decent job with the stitches. No one seemed to notice they weren't done by a professional when he finally decided to leave the bandages off. Not even Thomas, because he looked at him very oddly, every time his stitches were on display.

One day, Thomas approached him about it in the hallway.

"Hamilton, hey," he said and Alexander turned around and glared at him.

"Fuck off, Jefferson, I want nothing to do with you," he spat, "Not after the shit that happened in the forest."

"It's not my fault what happened to you-"

"Alright, fuck right off, this was entirely your fault! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had a fucking wolf bite into my leg!" he yelled, attracting the attention of some people around him. "You know what? Fuck _my_ injury, you put _John_ in danger! Either of us or both of us could have been dead by now and it would have been your fault!"

"I didn't come talk to you to be blamed," Thomas snarled.

"Oh, then you've underestimated me, because I blame you!" Alexander yelled. Thomas got some glares from some other students as well.

"I didn't come to talk about-"

"Tough fucking luck, Jefferson," Alexander spat, crossing his arms, placing his weight mostly on his right leg.

"You told me you can't afford to go to the hospital, yet your stitches look like they've been done by a professional. So what's the truth?" he asked, crossing his arms too, glaring down at Alexander.

"Aw, thanks for the compliment," he smiled bitterly and turned on his heel to leave. Thomas' eyes widened and the small group around them gasped at the implication. Thomas grabbed Alexander's arm and stopped him. Alexander groaned, "The fuck do you want now?"

"You can't tell me you did that yourself! You have no patience and you're too jittery for delicate work like that, especially on yourself! You can't possibly have pulled something like that off!" Thomas spat and Alexander rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, clearly you underestimate the weight of the shit James told you. Heck, from what it sounds like, he didn't even tell you the whole story after all. Go on, ask him why I'm good with stitches. I bet you're just dying to know," he snarled, ripped his arm out of Thomas' grip and ran off, leaving everyone confused and curious in the hallway.

 

That day, he didn't care that it was a school night, he went to the forest. It had been two weeks since the incident, and he had kind of promised Aaron he'd return for a visit. He had wanted to come earlier, but his friends had convinced him to rest until he was better. He applied the strange dark red liquid to his leg once every two days, and his wound healed so much quicker than he had anticipated. He renewed the stitches twice now and put on bandages again before he left for the forest, and he decided that once his wounds were healed completely, he'd put on either bandages or long pants so that no one questioned or undermined his injury once it was healed. Aaron had told him he would have scars, but that didn't bother him. It was weird, maybe. He actually wasn't sure if it was weird, but he liked scars, a lot. He didn't mind the scars on his body, and he had reasoned with himself these scars just existed to tell his story, as they were the results of those stories, a remainder, a shadow of the past lingering. They told stories, told his story, and he didn't mind them with this mindset. And while he didn't like how these scars came to be, he liked how they looked. It was weird, maybe. He found scars attractive. Very attractive. As he readied himself to go into the forest again (extra flashlights and batteries, a dagger he had stolen from someone some years ago to defend himself, and some food), he thought about Aaron. While his burns and scars looked like they must still be hurting, he couldn't help but find that he liked how they looked on him, though he wished he could ease the pain, like Aaron had so kindly done for him.

It took a while to get to the forest, seeing as he didn't have a car, but he soon arrived at the parking lot as the sun was about twenty minutes close to setting. He made for the direction he was sure the grave must be in and he began walking, keeping the dagger at his side and the flashlight in his hand for when the sun would go down. The sun had already set before he heard a humming of a familiar voice. I then began to sing softly. A foreign melody, and a foreign song, nothing that existed on Earth.

_Bluebird, bluebird, have you any shame?_  
Mocking me in the midst of day  
Bluebird, bluebird, let me know your name  
So I, too, can mock you from far away  
Bluebird, bluebird, now I know your name  
Mocking you in the midst of night  
Bluebird, thanks to you I have no shame  
Teaching your tiny body fright  
Bluebird, bluebird, your head hands in shame  
My head hangs too, I'm afraid  
Bluebird, bluebird, I'm calling out your name  
The price for our ignorance seems paid 

He followed the woeful singing until he arrived at the grave. The sun had set and the moon was still somewhat there, not yet a new moon, and the scarce light it let shine upon Aaron's skin made him look quite beautiful, mesmerising even. He approached him, quietly. Aaron's eyes were closed as he sang and Alexander decided he'd not disturb him but sit down as a quiet audience. When Aaron finished, he opened his eyes, and he wasn't startled to find Alexander suddenly appear. Rather, he smiled softly, with a certain relief.

"You came back," he smiled and Alexander nodded with a grin.

"Well, I kind of owe you, and you seemed nice when I first met you! You helped me and John so much. Actually, I think I might have died if it hadn't been for you, so... thank you. I kinda owe you my life. Not even kinda, I do owe you my life," he grinned sheepishly.

"Nonsense, you owe me nothing, Alexander. My help, unlike the help of some other of my kind, is free. But your presence is very welcomed here, thank you for coming by for a visit!" he smiled brightly and it set Alexander's heart aflame, not that he allowed himself to admit this to himself. He wasn't yet quite over James, he couldn't begin feeling something like this again, and to a stranger, no less a spirit. "How is your leg?"

"Ah, yeah, the stuff you gave me is working wonders! I put some on it before I stitched it shut, and I felt nothing when I worked the needle into my flesh, I got done so much quicker! What exactly was it that you gave me?" he rambled excitedly.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that my blood has kept it's healing properties," Aaron chuckled lightly.

"Oh, so that was your blood. Makes sense, red as it was," Alexander nodded.

"Peculiar. The last humans I've met were rather adverse to blood. I didn't suppose you to vary much from them in that regard," Aaron admitted and it made Alexander laugh.

"Yeah, I'm weird like that. Blood and gore don't faze me, at all, in any way. Neither do injuries or scars, I actually really like the latter," he admitted himself and it caused Aaron to let a fond smile dance on his lips.

"I don't think that you are weird for it," Aaron's smile turned soft, then solemn as he spoke again "You are different from who I've met. It's new. I think I like it. Some... change would be nice, I think."

"Is something wrong?" he asked and Aaron looked at the ground and nodded, then pointed to the grave behind him. Alexander looked, reading what was written on the grave. He couldn't make out the name, only the date. He raised a brow and was about to ask, as he suddenly realised the date of death on the grave was today, but thirty years earlier. he gasped softly.

"Oh..." he said and then winced, "Didn't realise it was the anniversary..."

"He's been dead for quite exactly thirty years..." Aaron mumbled.

"How did he die?" Alexander asked and Aaron let out a bitter laugh, the most negative Alexander had seen of him.

"Heart attack. Right here, where his grave sits. Broke my heart, and the forest decided to break his..." Aaron stopped.

"Do you... still have feelings for him?" Alexander carefully asked.

"No, not love. He betrayed me, broke my heart and... I still loved him thirty years ago. Some thirty years ago, just after he died, I had forgiven him for just a moment. I was grieving. In that moment I had still loved him, and I grieved. But I didn't grieve for him. I had grieved for our love, what was gone, what couldn't come back and return to how it had been. But then... I learned to hate him..." Aaron's face contorted into a scowl at the memory. "He betrayed me, he deserves worse for what he's done."

"Then... why do you stay here? If all his grave is doing is bring up painful memories, why don't you leave?" Alexander asked, concerned when Aaron sighed.

"He put a curse on me... with his dying breath. You haven't a clue what power a dying breath has, especially in this forest... He asked our weeping willow- whom we had asked not too long before to be witness to our love- to then be his witness as he proclaimed the curse. I am forced to stay here, watch and weep as does the willow over his grave," Aaron grasped at his own upper arms and closed his eyes, decidedly turning his back to the grave.

"Is there no way to break the curse?" he asked and Aaron nodded.

"It was the curse of a mortal, it isn't impossible in itself, but for me alone it is. You see, he was intelligent, in his own way. He was a con-man, you should know. His curse stated that I should watch and weep as does the willow over his grave, until I am carried away from it and to humanity. That was the curse. Now, you'd think the 'carrying away' would be the easy part and the 'to humanity' part would be more difficult, odd as it sounds, but it is actually quite reversed," Aaron explained.

"I'm sure I could help somehow!" Alexander exclaimed, taking Aaron a bit by surprise at how passionate he sounded, how angry, too.

"I'm... well, you haven't, by chance, a clue how to touch a spirit?" he asked and Alexander raised a brow.

"But- But you touched me when you kissed me, why should I not be able to touch you?" he asked, reaching for Aaron's hand, gasping when his own hand went right through it.

"I can only interact, not be interacted with, I'm afraid..." he sighed, "That's the problem. He knew I couldn't be touched if I didn't touch first, and that does not count as being carried away, I'm afraid..." he sighed, "There must be another way, I'm sure. The curse would not have worked unless there was a way for the cursed to reverse it."

"Well... If it has to be possible to reverse it... I'm sure we can figure something out! If not tonight, then maybe some other night!" he proclaimed and Aaron's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"You plan to return?" he asked and Alexander nodded.

"Well, duh! I need to help you break this curse after all! You said it's impossible to reverse it for you on your own. Well! Consider yourself not on your own anymore!" he grinned and Aaron chuckled softly a smile replacing his surprised expression.

"Thank you. You haven't a clue how much I appreciate what you said. Though, please, let us change the topic to... something else. I'd rather not let this night get the best of me... When must you leave?" he asked and Alexander waved it off.

"Eh, it doesn't really matter. I'll stay as long as you'll have me," he grinned.

"Then I suppose, shortly before sunrise? The sun hurts my skin, and I have the feeling you have to be somewhere during the day. Oh, I forgot you would have to sleep as well. Deary me, I forgot so much about humanity. And I used to be so fond of it," he laughed and Alexander giggled along with him.

They talked for the remainder of the night, neither of them noticing the sun rising until its rays hit Aaron and he yelped as he felt his skin nearly light on fire and he rushed into the shade of the weeping willow the grave was sitting near. Alexander almost yelped and how Aaron screamed, jumping up and immediately falling back down to the ground.

"Ow... Are you alright, Aaron?" he asked quickly, getting up from the ground and approaching him.

"I suppose. Goodness, I was startled. Ah, sunrise. Oh dear, you should leave then! You haven't slept an hour! And you weren't home for the night! Those who live with you must be horribly worried!" Aaron gasped and Alexander shook his head waving it off.

"Nah, don't worry. I got no one to worry 'bout me at home. But yeah, I should get going. School starts in a few hours and I should at least get a coffee," he said then yawned and threw his backpack over his back. "See ya tonight!"

And this arrangement continued for two more weeks, Alexander visiting every night, talking with Aaron until the sun would rise, then he'd go to school with a cup of coffee that barely did anything to keep him awake. He fell asleep in class more often than not, even fell asleep during a test and his results and subsequent grade reflected this accordingly. When he got the test back the next day, which he didn't notice, being asleep again, and other people, namely his friends that shared this class with him, got curious, then shocked when they saw the red D- on the paper, one wrong answer away from an F.

They grew more and more worried about this and after the third week of this, they decided to confront him about this, that this was unacceptable, especially since Alexander's constantly falling asleep in any situation where he got to sit down and rest meant he fell asleep in the middle of his friends talking to him. So one day, a Wednesday of all days, they pulled him aside as the lunch bell rang into some empty classroom. Alexander was confused about this, but his exhausted mind didn't quite process what was going on, either way, so he didn't question it. Lafayette saw that Alexander, who had sat down, was about to fall asleep on them again and he clapped his hands right next to his ear and snapped him wide awake.

"AWAKE! I'm awake! What happened?" he asked, suddenly dizzy. "Ugh, fuck, my head..."

"Alexander, dude, what's wrong?" Hercules asked and Alexander looked at him confused.

"Wrong? What do you mean? Everything is... fine? Yeah, fine..." Alexander slurred and yawned.

"No, it's not. It's obviously not. Dude, you realise you've been falling asleep on us for the past three weeks, right? You got a fricking D- on your test! You never get a D- in anything except PE! Something is wrong! Heck, even Jefferson noticed! _Jefferson!_ Something's wrong dude, tell us what," Hercules said, grabbing a chair and sitting down on it next to Alexander.

"Are you... are the nightmares back?" John asked slowly, earning a surprised and confused look from both Lafayette and Hercules.

"What? No! They're not back. I don't know, I've just... been busy... and I get little sleep because of it..." he said. Lie by omission, he could work with that. Don't really lie, but don't tell them the whole truth. They wouldn't believe it anyway. Well, Lafayette would, but- he flinched as the idea hit him.

"What is wrong, Alexander?" Lafayette asked.

"Ah, nothing, I just realised something, nothing big," he lied.

"Well, Alex, I want you to know that you can count on us to help you in any way we can. You say you've been busy? Doing what?" John asked and Alexander frowned.

"Helping a friend. They're in a bit of a bad place... I really shouldn't say more about it," he said and the others' eyes widened in surprise, but they nodded.

"O-of course. Sorry, Alex, if we intruded, but we got so worried about you, you're neglecting your own health for this person. I know you want to sacrifice yourself for others, to make them happy, but you have to think about yourself every once in a while. Like right now. Get some sleep tonight," John said.

And for the rest of the week, he was left alone about it. He did go to Aaron to tell him that, since his friends began to worry about his health, he would only be able to stick around for a few hours, and not till sunrise, unless he would bring a sleeping bag. He did store that idea, and used it the following week, immediately going to the forest, do his homework (which he'd bring with him) and take a nap until Aaron would wake him and talk to him. Alexander basically lived in the forest now, and only occasionally went home to shower. He brought stuff to eat with him, so that wasn't an issue. The sleeping without a roof over his head wasn't an issue either. It was summer, and it rarely rained, twice in the month Alexander had begun basically living in the forest with Aaron, trying to figure out a way to break the curse. Aaron, who had been so alone the past thirty years with scarcely a soul that ever came by, let alone stayed, was so very happy that Alexander was willing to go this far to stay by him and help him. Aaron wished he could return the favour, but he didn't know how. In the end, he decided to bless Alexander with the only blessing he could, being merely a spirit of the forest and of nature. He blessed him to be loved by the forests and its creatures, that he would understand them and nature itself like no other mortal would. This caused him to adopt the forest's scent, and people around him asked suddenly if he got a new cologne, until Thomas would sneer and laugh, saying he couldn't afford one.

Alexander's friends did notice a bit of a change, again, as well. The scent Alexander had adopted was one thing, but the sudden appreciation of nature was new to them. And the sudden friendliness towards animals. And the fact that animals seemed to just flock to him and adore him was eerie. Lafayette had told him it must have been the forest spirits apologizing for hurting him, and he didn't know how close he was to the truth with that statement. One day, with one window in the class open, a bird flew right in and his classmates were surprised at it, even more so when the bird landed directly onto Alexander's finger which he had held out for it. It chirped a small song for him and Alexander laughed, hearing the message and quietly said 'I'll reply later' and the bird went flying out of the window, leaving his classmates, and his teacher, to stare and gape and gawk at him, surprised and shocked. He shared this class with Thomas, who must have been the one who was the most surprised by this. Similar incidents occurred over the next two weeks and people grew a bit uneasy, but also very curious, as was Thomas, and James if he would admit it to himself. And everyone seemed surprised at his sudden new love for nature, especially when he took up gardening in school as an extracurricular, which had taken quite literally everyone who knew him by surprise, most especially Thomas, who was also part of that, but more because he had thought it would be a simple extracurricular and wouldn't require much work. Boy had he been wrong.

And one day, Thomas, with James behind him and knowing nothing of Thomas' plans, confronted Alexander before he could make his way off the street and to the mall with his friends. Thomas grabbed Alexander by the arm. Alexander yelped and spun around, ripping his arm away from Thomas.

"Dude, what the hell!" he yelped and Thomas glared.

"Hey, Snow White. So, I got a few questions-"

"Snow White? Really?" Alexander asked incredulously.

"Well, yes, seems fitting, doesn't it? The way animals just seem to adore you," Thomas crossed his arms smugly and Alexander raised a brow.

"Snow White, the fairest in the land? What a charmer you are, Jefferson, don't you have a boyfriend?" he snorted, especially when Thomas flushed with embarrassment and anger. James couldn't help the small chuckle that came out of his throat.

"Yeah, anyway. What's with the animal show, Hamilton? You hated animals before, and now you adore them and they just come flocking to you? Unlikely. What's really going on? Don't tell me it has anything to do with your cheap new cologne, or that bag you keep carrying around," he snapped and Alexander rolled his eyes.

"It's not cologne, and you would not understand, let alone believe. So fuck off and leave me alone. I got places to be," he spat back and stormed away. He was going to meet his friends. He had given a bird a message for Aaron after lunch break that he wanted to hang out with his friends and that Aaron shouldn't wait for him tonight. The bird that came back to give him the message 'Okay, have fun!' had been received half an hour after that.

They went to the mall together, his friends, all richer than him, decided to spoil him and buy him all the food he wanted, to which he couldn't say no. Who would turn down free food? Either an idiot or someone who's already full. Either way, he stuffed so much food into his face, he nearly felt like he'd explode at the next bite of food, and he only ordered some water after that. Sparkling water, like fancy people or Germans.

At some point, Lafayette had started a game of riddles, where everyone had to tell one riddle and then the rest would get turns answering it, and the one with the most correct answers would win, obviously. Alexander sucked at riddles, but he remembered quite a few and could at least give answers to those. It was Lafayette's turn again.

"Okay, easy one. How do you carry water in a sieve without dropping a single drop?" Lafayette asked and John groaned.

"Shit, I knew the answer to that one once!" he whined.

"Nope, I'm stumped," said Alexander. He remembered that riddle too, just not the answer to it. It was a simple one, he was sure.

"Uhh... put the sieve in a bucket of water?" Hercules guessed but Lafayette shook his head.

"Close, but no. You put water into a bowl and put the bowl in the sieve! It is still technically carrying the water in a sieve," Lafayette grinned and the whole table groaned.

"You're the worst," John groaned.

"I'm the best, petit John," Lafayette stuck out his tongue.

Suddenly, something clicked for Alexander, realisation hitting him like a truck on the highway and he flinched.

"Something wrong, Alex?" John asked, concerned.

"Nah, just thought of something. Hey, Laf? Not a riddle, but you said you believe in ghosts and spirits, yes?" he asked and Lafayette nodded.

"Oui, France is quite full of them. The spirits more than the ghosts!" he smiled excitedly.

"How would one go about catching a spirit?" he asked.

"Simple! You use a mirror or a camera! But if you want to free the spirit later, you want to use a mirror, because when you knock thrice against it, the spirit can open it like a door. A camera captures them forever," Lafayette explained, then looked at Alexander somewhat in surprise, "Where has this sudden interest in the spirits come from?"

"Oh, I just saw this movie the other day about that- can't remember what it was, though- and it had something to do with catching spirits and it just got me thinking a bit," Alexander lied and Lafayette ate it right up.

"Well, you're welcome, petit lion," he smiled and Alexander raised a brow at the new nickname.

"Little lion? Why's that?" he asked and Lafayette grinned.

"Because you are suddenly like the king of animals, and isn't the lion the king of the animals too? And you're short," he stuck out his tongue and Hercules and John snorted.

"Yeah, like the lion king. Dude, you're totally right, he's totally the king of animals now! How did that happen?" John snickered and Alexander rolled his eyes.

"A spirit," he said in a mocking tone, and everyone laughed, unaware of the truth in Alexander's statement.

After meeting his friends, Alexander immediately went home and looked everywhere for a handheld mirror. He knew he must have one somewhere, but he couldn't find it, no matter how hard he looked. Did he leave it at John's place? Did he let Lafayette borrow it? Did Hercules need it for something? He hastily pulled his phone out of his pocket, almost dropping it in the process. He texted his friends in their group chat.

_A.Ham:_  
Yo, anyone seen my handheld mirror?  
Laffy:  
Afraid not, petit lion ;P  
Herc:  
Nah, dude  
JOHN:  
Yeah, you left it at my place. want me to bring it over?  
A.Ham:  
Nah, I'll be over in five to get it, thx dude 

As soon as this was said, Hercules and Lafayette made a new group chat with only them and John.

_Laffy:_  
THIS IS YOUR CHANCE PETIT JOHN!  
JOHN:  
What are you talking about???  
Herc:  
No, dude, he's right, it's tiiiiimeeeee  
JOHN:  
No. no, absolutely nto  
*not  
Laffy:  
We are your friends, listen to us  
JOHN:  
Laf, he's not into me, he's still not over James either!  
Herc:  
He'll never be over him if he doesn't have someone he can 100% percent trust and who can distract him from him. At least ask him on a date, claim it's to distract him  
When he's having a good time, it's time for you to come clean  
Laffy:  
Herc, I am so proud of you, a matchmaker in the making <3  
JOHN:  
Okay  
Laffy:  
LE GASP!!!! :O  
Herc:  
Yes, dude, go and get him! 

So John had his mirror, he should have known, really. He left things at John's place all the time. He might as well live there. He gave a quick look around the small, shitty, barely furnished room he called his home. There was a bed and a wardrobe, but that was it. He didn't have a desk, nothing. His laptop, which had been a gift from John (he couldn't give it back, John wouldn't let him), sat quietly atop his bed and must have been the most expensive thing he owned. He sighed and put his laptop inside his bag, the one he takes with him to Aaron every night. Some racoon told him there was a thief in the neighbourhood, breaking into people's houses and robbing them blind. He didn't want his most expensive possession to be stolen from him, not when John had paid so much money to get it for him as a gift. Maybe he should invest in a tent, he thought to himself. Though, if the thing with the mirror actually worked and he freed Aaron from the curse, he might not get to sleep in the forest again by him. He had slept so much better under Aaron's watchful gaze than he ever had before. It would be a bit of a shame not to have his presence with him anymore.

He went to John to get his mirror.

"Yeah, it's in the bathroom. Did you need it for something?" John asked.

"I wanted to trim some hair in the back and can't do it without a second mirror. I don't like to feel things out," Alexander lied, sticking out his tongue.

"If you want, I'm sure I could cut your hair?" John tried but Alexander shook his head.

"I prefer doing it myself," Alexander grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. He did need a haircut, he realised.

"You do everything yourself, Alex, you should let someone do something for you every once in a while," John pointed out but Alexander just shrugged.

"Yeah, but that usually costs money. Which, incidentally, I have nigh none of," he grumbled, picking up his mirror that lay on a small shelf in the bathroom.

"You have rich friends-"

"Whom I love and cherish, and thus will not take advantage of, ever," Alexander interrupted and John rolled his eyes.

"It's not taking advantage of us if we want to," John pointed out.

"Are you asking to become my sugar daddy?" Alexander grinned, especially when John flushed red before he caught himself.

"You know what? If it means I can drag you to the mall and buy you everything you want instead of you making the things you need yourself, then yes!" he said, copying Alexander's grin.

"Aw, my very own sugar daddy? How lovely of you, but still, I won't accept neither money, nor gifts from you. It's bad enough you gifted me a laptop for my birthday, and you won't let me give it back!" Alexander complained, examining the old mirror in his hands.

"I'll never let you give it back. Anyway, um... are you busy tomorrow?" he asked, a blush coming to his cheeks and he scratched the back of his headache

"Yeah, sorry, I am busy tomorrow. But I'm sure I can make sure I have this Friday free for you!" he smiled, "Are Herc and Laf coming too?"

"Oh, that's okay. Well, they wanted to go see this movie, but I've seen it already, and I know you will refuse any of us buying you the ticket for it, so I thought I'd take you to a diner in the mall and show you the park they opened recently, since you only let us spoil you with food and since you suddenly like nature so much," he smiled and Alexander nodded.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Well, see ya tomorrow at school!" he replied and then left.

John pulled out his phone to text Hercules and Lafayette

_JOHN:_  
I did it, I asked him  
Herc:  
I am proud of you, John!  
Laffy:  
Wait! Did you tell him it's a date? Did you tell him it's to distract him?  
JOHN:  
Um...  
Laffy:  
Well, fuck.  
JOHN:  
In my defence! He was too cute too concentrate!  
Laffy:  
Sigh, petit John, I sigh for you  
Herc:  
No biggie, you can still tell him when you're on your little date.  
Btw, where and when?  
JOHN:  
This Friday, cuz he's busy tomorrow, and I'll take him to a diner in the mall and then to the park.   
You know, because of his sudden love for nature?  
And also food  
Laffy:  
And this after that traumatic experience too! I would avoid anything to do with animals after such an experience!!  
Herc:  
Okay, that's a very good idea with the park and diner. but diner first, then the park.  
good luck for Friday!  
JOHN:  
I'll need it... :/ 

The next day, Thursday, Alexander had packed the mirror into his bag, careful that it would break if it got thrown around for some reason. The school day came and went quickly and he stayed for his extracurricular, gardening. It was mostly rich kids who went to this school, their parents donating quite a lot of money to it, so the school could afford a garden. Alexander, thanks to Aaron's blessing, was great with the plants, as he understood their needs and wishes like they could speak them to him, and, in a way, they did. Alexander grabbed the watering can and went over to his small patch of flowers in the garden. Being a beginner he wasn't allowed a lot of space yet, but the teacher supervising them seemed to notice how the plants seemed to thrive with him.

_Water, please, we're thirsty!_ He heard his plants and flowers call for him and he chuckled and watered them until they told him they had enough. It was easy to develop a love for nature after Aaron's blessing. The flowers and plants had so much to say, and he could even understand the trees, who sometimes went on and on about the things they've witnessed. Some of the things, especially with the older trees, was disturbing, some of them had witnessed a murder, one saying that there was a corpse buried under it. But it was interesting, all in all, and his love for nature came quickly because of it.

He began to hum a small tune Aaron had taught him and the flowers delighted in the tune. Aaron had called it 'the song of nature calling you home'.

"Bugs and Berries, Birds and Bees  
See them live in harmony  
Heavy heart, oh, can't you see  
How beautiful my Home can be  
Sparkling Snow and Silver moon  
Worry not, I'll come Home soon  
Worry not, I'll come Home soon  
Em'rald Grass, Sapphire Sky  
Happiness tempts me to cry  
Pearly Clouds, so white, so soft  
Birds, they soar so high above  
My Home for which my Heart cries alone  
Call for me and I'll come Home  
Call for me and I'll come Home"

He sang quietly, but Thomas heard it and glared at him.

"Shut up, Hamilton, no one wants to hear your screeching you call singing," he snarled and Alexander glared back at him, noticing how much Thomas was watering the flowers, who were basically screaming at this point for him to stop.

"Dude, you're drowning them, stop it," he pointed out and Thomas scoffed.

"I've been here longer, I know better than you-"

"Thomas, you're watering the flowers too much, they'll drown at this rate," the supervising teacher said, not having heard a word of Alexander and Thomas' conversation. Thomas growled and put the watering can away and went on to do something else. Thomas' flowers gave a 'Thank you' to Alexander, who whispered back 'No problem', and returned to take care of his own flowers, listening to their needs for today and nodding along, sometimes quietly asking something or commenting.

_We're glad he doesn't take care of us!_

"Yeah, he's a jerk who thinks he knows everything better, even when he clearly doesn't," Alexander snorted and he went to put small weeds that hadn't met him yet into another box with earth to thrive there. He had asked the weeds to stop growing with the other flowers, and most had listened to him and didn't leave anything behind after he gently pulled them out to not hurt them too much. Some said they couldn't help leaving something behind to grow again and apologized for it, and those were the weeds he was currently pulling out gently and putting them in the second box with earth.

_They will die at this rate with him!_

"Some part of me wishes that they will. It must be painful and dying would put them out of their misery. But he would just get new flowers and torment them," Alexander lamented. "Anything else I can do for you today?"

_Please cut down some branches._ The bush behind his patch of flowers asked and Alexander raised a brow.

"Wouldn't that hurt?" he asked, not noticing how Thomas began looking at him oddly.

_Yes, but I look so unsightly like this!_

"Beauty is pain, indeed. Alright, you're the boss," he shrugged and got up with a pair of gardening scissors. "What cut can I get you today?"

_Make me round, please!_

"You're the boss-"

"Hamilton, who are you talking to?" Thomas yelled from his patch.

"Studies show talking to your plants helps them grow!" he lied, his plants were giggling.

"Bullshit! With the shit you're talking they'd wilt willingly!" Thomas snapped and Alexander rolled his eyes and began quickly cutting branches off the bush so that it would be in pain not too long. His work wasn't sloppy because it was quick and the bush seemed to appreciate his quick work.

He found gardening relaxing, especially since the plants were so nice to him and told him exactly what and how much they needed so there wasn't the discomfort in confusion on what to do and how to do it, a feeling he disliked.

Thomas glared at him suspiciously, a plan forming in his head as he watched Alexander work. He was too curious for his own good, Thomas admitted to himself, but he wanted to know what was going on. He had eavesdropped on a conversation between Hercules, Lafayette and John about Alexander, and they too had wondered what had changed with Alexander. They had also wondered where Alexander kept disappearing to, since, apparently, he didn't go home after school, but in a completely different direction.

He decided to follow him after this. James decided to tag along as well as Thomas texted him about it. It was late when Alexander decided to stop for the day (this extracurricular was designed for the students to decide when they worked enough and went home, with a minimum of one hour mandatory) and packed up his things. Thomas had pretended to go home but was just waiting in his car with James for Alexander to get out and go where he usually went.

"So, why do you want to find out where he goes?" Thomas asked James, waiting for Alexander to walk ahead a bit before they would begin to follow him. James turned to the side with a blush on his cheeks. He might be sick again, Thomas thought.

"I'm... worried a bit... He's never liked nature much before, he never before didn't go immediately home except when his friends dragged him somewhere or... when I... Nevermind, I'm just worried he might be in danger where he goes..." James said and Thomas nodded, getting out of the car with James following him.

From this point on, they followed Alexander, quite a bit behind him, so he wouldn't hear them. At some point, a bird flew in front of Alexander's face, startling him. They are already out of the small town and James began remembering the road.

"What is it, Jay?" Alexander asked the bird as he let it land on his finger and the bird let out some loud tweets and Alexander nodded with a chuckle.

"Tell him, I'll be there soon. I'm not far away," he said and the bird chirped and flew off as Alexander resumed his walking.

Thomas realised Alexander was heading towards the forest and James gasped as he realised the same thing. Alexander seemed to have been taken by some excitement as he reached the outer most trees of the forest and began running into it, startling the pair to give chase. But neither were as quick as him and they quickly lost him in the forest. Thomas realised too late that the sun was quickly setting and he turned around, only to then realise that they were lost.

"What do you mean, we're lost?" James asked, panicked. Thomas tried to pull him close to calm him down, but James pushed him away. "We have to find Alexander. If this is where he keeps disappearing to, he has to know how to get out!"

"James, calm down, please," Thomas said, but James ignored him, decisively storming into the direction where they had last seen Alexander, also ignoring the fact that the sun was almost set at this point. Thomas had no choice but to follow his boyfriend, afraid something might happen to him if he didn't.

He tried to take James' hand, but James kept pulling it away. Thomas was surprised at how hostile James was all of a sudden. He had never seen this side of him before.

He silently followed beside James.

Suddenly, James halted, with wide eyes and took a step back, pointing forward. Thomas followed where he was pointing to, and gasped as he saw a grave in the distance. He had not believed Alexander when he had come back from the forest that night to his car and had told him that despite Thomas lying, there was a grave sitting in the forest. James decided to walk to it, but he halted once more at something he saw out of the corner of his eyes. he turned around and yelped, startled. Thomas yelped as well, his eyes blown wide with fear and disbelief. A wolf. There was a wolf standing right there, growling at them. Thomas didn't think as he grabbed James' arm and ran, making James run with him. It was all a blur of panic as they ran in the direction of the grave, the wolf hot on their tail. But Thomas stumbled over a root, dark as it turned, fell and dragged James down with him.

James screamed as the wolf ran at them, ready to attack, as, suddenly, Alexander jumped down from a tree onto the wolf, forcing it down. He clung onto the wolf with force, made easier with his feet bare as he had begun as he lived here until it finally calmed down enough for him to get up from it.

Thomas and James stared up in utter shock and disbelief, but Alexander's attention was on the wolf.

"I told you not to chase after humans!" he yelled at the wolf, whose tails flicked between its legs and its ear lay flat on its head and it whimpered.

"I don't care that they ran. You gave chase and nearly attacked them!" he continued and the wolf whined.

"No excuses. Go apologize," he snapped and the wolf trotted over to James, who froze and whimpered, throwing his arms over his face to defend himself.

"Please don't kill me!" he yelped and Alexander went between the wolf and James.

"Don't worry, James. He wants to apologize, okay?" he said, very soothingly and slowly, very slowly, James put his arms down from his face and stared up at Alexander, who was kneeling next to him, with fright. "It's alright, see?" Alexander gently took James' hand and placed it onto the wolf's head. James breathing picked up speed until the wolf nuzzled into his hand and he let out a nervous giggle. "See? He likes you already!" Alexander beamed and the wolf leaned forwards and licked at James' face, causing James to giggle freely at the tickling sensation. The wolf's tail was wagging, happy it was forgiven by this human. "See, now was it so hard to apologize?" Alexander asked the wolf, who then nuzzled into James' chest.

Thomas' eyes were still blown wide in fear and as Alexander saw this he sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose, putting a hand on the wolf to get its attention.

"That one, too," he said, begrudgingly. The wolf whined and he laughed. "Yes, I know I do, but otherwise he'll end up too traumatised and I'm not in the mood to be blamed for it. Especially since it was your fault," he poked the wolf and it went over to Thomas, who immediately froze up, and it began nuzzling into his chest. Very hesitantly, Thomas put a hand on its head and it began wagging its tail happily, content that it was forgiven, and it went over to Alexander again, tail wagging proudly. "Great, now get a bath, you stink of death."

And the wolf then disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Alexander smiled and shook his head after it. Thomas then came to his sense and jumped up.

"What the fuck was that?!" he yelped and James had some problems getting up, Alexander immediately dove to help him to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Alexander ignored Thomas in favour of James.

"Y-yeah, I... I think I am," he nodded and Thomas glared at Alexander.

"What the FUCK was that?!" he yelled at him and Alexander glared back at him.

"Wow, what a great boyfriend you are to him," he spat and carefully let James stand on his own. James began at his upper arms, as though he was cold. "But to answer your question: that was a wolf. Incidentally, it's the same wolf who bit me."

"But it listened to you! You were talking to it! Why are you barefoot?!" Thomas snapped and Alexander rolled his eyes.

"Congrats, you've got eyes and weird priorities. Now, my turn. What in the fuck are you doing here!" he exclaimed, his anger directed solely toward Thomas.

"I was worried about you, Alex," James said, drawing all of Alexander's attention to him. "I thought you might be in danger- no one knew where you suddenly kept going to after school. I think your friends were worried too..."

"Alright, but what's his excuse?" he asked, pointing at Thomas with his thumb.

"I dragged him along," James lied and Alexander frowned.

"You never lied to me before, do you really want to start now?" he asked, some pain in his voice and James shook his head.

"He said he was curious," James admitted. Thomas growled.

"Anything wrong with that?" Thomas snapped and Alexander rolled his eyes.

"Is your curiosity sated?" he asked.

"No! What are you doing in this forest?" Thomas yelled.

"Do you really think I would tell you? That I would tell you a single thing? If you haven't noticed, Jefferson, I will reiterate it. I hate you. I am not particularly inclined to share my secrets with you!" Alexander scoffed.

"I bet you'd share your secrets with James, wouldn't you," Thomas growled through his smirk and Alexander sucked in a hissed breath and pushed past him, storming behind the grave. James glared at Thomas. Alexander picked rummaged through his bag until is found his flashlight and dagger, hiding the dagger out of sight. He wanted to be able to defend himself and James, whom he really couldn't hate despite what he had done, should someone else be in this forest who was more dangerous than the animals. He turned the flashlight on, glared at the grave, and kicked the tombstone, making it tilt to the side.

"Fucker," he hissed at it and walked over to Thomas and James again. "I'll show you the way to the parking lot. From there on you can find your way back."

"Are you stupid, kicking a gravestone like that!" Thomas yelped and Alexander rolled his eyes.

"He's long gone, you superstitious prick. Let's go," Alexander spat, with a glare back at the gravestone. "Come on, westwards. I'll make sure nothing attacks you two."

And with that, Alexander led them away from the grave to the west. At this point, he knew the ways through and around the forest like the back of his hand. He led them quietly through the dark forest. James was uncomfortable, rubbing at his upper arms.

"Alexander..." James began, carefully.

"What is it?" Alexander asked softly, practically feeling how uncomfortable James was behind him, itching to make him feel better, but it wasn't his job anymore.

"How come the wolf listened to you?" he asked. Alexander sighed.

"I'd rather not talk about that... Or I will, but before that, you tell me the reason you broke up with me," Alexander said and Thomas scoffed.

"Get over it, Alexander, he likes me better than you," he laughed and Alexander growled, stopped walking and turned to glare at Thomas.

"Yeah, I get that. I have no clue why he likes you, but that's not my problem," he then turned to look at James. "I just want to know why I'm not as good as you like him, James. I mean, yeah, it's completely within your right to forfeit a reason, but that just fucking hurts."

"Sorry..." James mumbled.

"Yeah," he said, pain coating his voice and he turned around again and resumed leading them out of the forest.

Sooner than not they arrived at the parking lot. Alexander gave a quick look around, then nodded. He handed his flashlight over to James, who took it but looked at him confused.

"Alright, I'll let you borrow that. Give it back tomorrow. Okay?" Alexander said with a nod.

"Wait, where are you going?" James asked as Alexander turned to go back into the forest.

"Going back, duh. Unlike either of you, I got stuff to do. And don't follow me again. And don't spread it that I was here. If more people come here, they'll just leave their trash," Alexander said and disappeared into the forest.

"Okay," said James, much too quiet for Alexander to have heard it. James turned around and began walking down the road. Thomas had no choice but to follow him. 

"He's a weirdo. Walking around barefoot in the forest-"

"Thomas," he began and Thomas perked up.

"What is it, Jem?" he asked.

"I'm-... I'm breaking up with you..." he said and Thomas' eyes widened in surprise to a nigh comical extent.

"Wh-what?! What, why?!" he yelped in surprise, stopping in his tracks, but James kept moving which forced him to keep moving as well.

James kept quiet as he kept walking, not responding to Thomas.

"James, why? What did I do?!" he yelped, but James wouldn't answer and remained dead-quiet for the rest of the way back and he didn't let Thomas into his house, but slammed the door shut in his face as Thomas inquired again, why James wanted to break up.

Thomas couldn't understand it. And it hurt. What did he do wrong, he wondered and pondered. But he was forced to go home, without an answer, uncertain about everything. He fell asleep crying.

 

Alexander went back to the grave, just in time to see Aaron arrive from atop the willow.

"Goodness me! I heard some yelling, what happened?" he asked.

"James and Jefferson followed me here. The wolf attacked them, but I fell on him. Anyway, that's not what I was here for," Alexander waved it off.

"Well, it is good to see you, no matter the reason why you're here," Aaron smiled and it immediately made Alexander feel so much better. He really liked Aaron.

"Alright, let's sit down, 'cause depending on the legitimacy of my sources I might have something to help," he smiled in return.

"Oh?" Aaron looked surprised, "Is that so?" Alexander nodded.

"I think. How would one go about catching a spirit if you plan to release it?" he asked and Aaron raised a brow in confusion.

"Well, to go about that one would need a mirror. You know, so many believe that a silver mirror is needed, but really any mirror works for that. To release the spirit from the mirror you knock on it seven times. Yes, I know, people claim it would be three times, but those are only ghosts where that works. Why do you ask?" Aaron explained.

"Do you know the riddle where you have to carry water in a sieve?" Alexander asked then.

"Sure, I do. The answer is to carry a bowl of water in the sieve, isn't it?" Aaron replied, a thoughtful expression on his features as he tried to guess where Alexander might be going with this.

"Well, look what I brought!" he said and pulled out the mirror from his bag.

"Um... where are you going with this?" Aaron asked and Alexander smiled.

"Okay, imagine that how to break the curse is the riddle. You would be the water and... let's say my hands are the sieve I have to carry you with, that would be impossible in itself. However, I have the metaphoric bowl right here!" he grinned, showing the mirror, and Aaron gasped in realisation.

"And you would be carrying me! Alexander, you are brilliant!" Aaron exclaimed, lunging forward to hug Alexander tightly. "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Alexander blushed and hugged Aaron back with a smile.

"I can't take all the credit. My friend, Lafayette, gave me the idea when it was his turn to tell a riddle. We do that sometimes. And he believes in ghosts and spirits, and I thought that maybe he has some semi-accurate knowledge on the topic, and apparently he does! He told me about the mirror, but he said to knock on it three times, so he made a mistake there," Alexander grinned.

"Huh, that name sounds familiar... Ah, nevermind, I must be imagining it," Aaron waved it off.

"So... how do I...?" he asked and Aaron chuckled.

"You have to hit me with the mirror side. Over my head. Don't worry, it won't hurt me," Aaron smiled and Alexander nodded.

He took in a breath and gripped the handle of the mirror tightly.

"Here goes nothing," he said and hit Aaron with the mirror side over the head. There was a bright flash, blinding and Alexander had to look away. When the flash was gone, so was Aaron and Alexander's breath was somewhat heavy. His head whipped to the mirror in his hand, and instead of looking at himself, Aaron was looking back at him, smiling, no, downright beaming at him.

"Oh, I could absolutely kiss you right now!" Aaron exclaimed and Alexander blushed.

"I think that can wait until you're actually free from the curse," he winked and a pool of blue rushed to Aaron's cheeks and he nodded meekly. "Wanna go"? Alexander asked and Aaron nodded again, which Alexander copied with a, "Alright, then let's go!"

Alexander packed his things and picked up his bag, keeping the mirror in his hand and holding it with the mirror side facing ahead of him. Aaron glowed and thus he could see the path better. Aaron had nothing against being used as a sort of flashlight. He liked seeing the forest, though he found himself wanting to look at Alexander's face more. As soon as the desire crossed his mind, a deep blue blush crossed his cheeks, he slapped a hand over his grinning mouth. His insides were mixed with excitement and nervousness and fear. Goodness, he was terrified. He wondered what would happen if this was not the answer to how to break the curse.

Alexander kept walking westwards, quite excited himself. Very soon, he arrived at the parking lot. The moment he set one bare foot onto the lot, the mirror began glowing. He looked down, confused but excited.

"Are you-"

"Not quite. This isn't quite humanity. Take me to the town, Alexander, please!" Aaron grinned excitedly and got his shoes out from his bag, putting them on quickly, Alexander began running down the road, almost stumbling sometimes, but he kept running until he finally got back into the town. The mirror began glowing brighter and brighter, until the light was suddenly quite blinding, a flash in the night, illuminating the entire town at once for five whole seconds before it disappeared completely.

"A-Aaron?" Alexander asked, hearing heavy breathing coming from the mirror. Alexander hid behind a bush when he heard people running towards his direction.

"I'm-" Aaron gasped for air, breathless, "I'm free! I'm free! I'm free, Alexander! I'm free!" he declared with such happiness it made Alexander's heart melt.

"Should I let you out then?" he asked, looking down at the mirror, at Aaron, happily. He was happy for him, so happy. He was just afraid this meant good-bye forever.

"No, not yet. We should go somewhere where there are fewer people," Aaron said.

"Yeah, I might know a place like that," he said, and he led Aaron to his home. He could barely call it a home. His foster parents barely lived there, and he was glad for that because he didn't like them. They made sure to send just enough money for him to survive, and they paid the bills. It was enough. They were neglectful, not physically or psychologically abusive, save for the neglect. It was alright, better than the last few tries. He told Aaron this, with a bit of a heavy heart, but he found it became lighter as he did tell him. Aaron listened intently to him and nodded along. He seemed to understand the weight behind the story. Alexander informed him what he told him was not nearly all of what he had lived through, what he had survived, but he didn't want to talk about it at that very moment. Rather, he wanted to be happy for Aaron. Aaron understood this well and smiled.

"You can let me out now," Aaron said as Alexander sat on his bed. Alexander nodded.

"Knock seven times, okay..." he said to himself and nodded again, "Okay."

He knocked, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven times, a bright flash, though not nearly as bright as in the town, and suddenly, Aaron stood, rather floated, before him. Alexander gasped and grinned. Aaron could hardly contain his excitement, he lunged at Alexander, knocking him back onto the bed and- he kissed him. Alexander's eyes widened and a blush exploded onto his face, right up to his ears. His toes curled in his shoes and he decided this felt good, he liked this. And he kissed back gently, carefully, unsure of himself, but Aaron quickly took all fear from him. Slowly, they pulled away from each other. Aaron's eyes widened as he saw his own reflection in Alexander's eyes, saw the blush on his and Alexander's cheeks.

"Oh dear, no. I'm sorry, I... I should never have-" Aaron stuttered, completely flustered. "I'm sorry, Alexander, I shouldn't have done that to you!"

"If it helps, I-... I kinda liked it..." Alexander said, sheepishly smiling and scratching the back of his head awkwardly. Aaron looked at him in surprise, then glared at the ground with sudden shame.

"I'm sorry, I... Shoot, I swore to myself to never fall in love again... and here I am... I'm sorry, Alexander, that I am dragging you into this with me," Aaron apologized. Alexander took Aaron's burned and scarred hands in his, getting up from the bed, and looked into his eyes deeply.

"You're not dragging me anywhere, I'm here willingly, aren't I?" he said and Aaron looked at him with something like hope.

"I swore to never fall in love again... and yet here I am..." he sighed. "What do you think?"

"I... I think you should let it... I think it's great that you can bring yourself to love again," Alexander smiled but the frown remained on Aaron's lips.

"Even when it is you whom I love? You, who you aren't ready to love again yourself?" he asked and Alexander nodded.

"I like you a lot... I think it's already bordering on love... You have been such a great help Aaron, in everything. You're amazing honestly. And here you are, once again helping me, but helping me to learn to love someone again," Alexander smiled and Aaron shook his head.

"Oh, no, it was you who taught me, Alexander! I was bitter and unable to love for thirty years until you finally came along and taught me to love anew. And now... goodness me, I can't believe it... There's a chance you might be able to love me back! What I feel has no word to describe it adequately enough! Goodness, I love you," he breathed and kissed Alexander with such love it made Alexander's heart melt.

"You're gorgeous, Aaron, so gorgeous," he grinned as he pulled away so that their lips were just barely not touching and Aaron sighed, absolutely love-struck and in awe.

After this, Aaron insisted Alexander go to bed. No more would be the nights spent talking under the roof that was the night sky with its countless stars shining upon them and the moon lazily smiling upon their little clearing.

"You won't leave?" Alexander asked, lying in his bed, with Aaron right beside him.

"Why would I?" Aaron asked, surprised to find a small tinge of fear in Alexander's voice.

"Well... I was a bit afraid that you being free would mean you would leave for forever..." he admitted.

"And yet you still set me free?" Aaron asked.

"Of course! If I hadn't, you would have grown to hate me for my selfishness. I don't want you to hate me... I was just a bit afraid... will you leave soon or will you stay longer?" he then asked and Aaron smiled down at him and kissed his head.

"I'll stay for as long as you'll have me," he said with a chuckle.

"I'm glad," Alexander smiled, then yawned and closed his eyes.

 

As Alexander had to leave for school the following day, he also informed Aaron he wouldn't likely return home until evening, perhaps even late evening, because John had invited him to do something with him. Aaron understood with a patient smile, like only a being like him could understand.

Alexander went off to school, it was the very last year he'd have to spend here. He already turned eighteen a month ago, and he'd turn nineteen before the school year ended. And then he'd be off to college, if he got into the college of his choice on a scholarship, which was the thing he was aiming for, it would be amazing, a dream come true. He desperately hoped it would come true. Since he didn't have to go to the forest to see Aaron again, he didn't bring his bag with him, only his regular backpack.

His friends noticed this immediately and he beamed at them.

"Alex, petit lion, has something good happened?" Lafayette asked and Alexander nodded.

"I told you about this friend who was in a bad situation?" he asked and Hercules nodded.

"Wait, 'was'? Does that mean?" John asked and Alexander nodded.

"He's out of it! He's finally free from it!" he beamed and his friends grinned excitedly.

"I'm happy you managed to help him! How is he?" Lafayette asked.

"He's so much better, now that he's free from it all. I swear, I saw the weight on him from it leave his heart and eyes completely. It was beautiful to see," Alexander rambled, not realising the blush that crept onto his cheeks from thinking about Aaron. John noticed this quite quickly.

"Looks like you really like him, huh?" John muttered. Alexander stopped, raising a brow in surprise at his tone.

"What do you mean?" he asked and John crossed his arms and looked away. Lafayette and Hercules looked at him with concern.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing," he snapped bitterly, making Alexander flinch. "Sorry, I'm just having a bad day."

"Already?" Alexander tilted his head, "What happened?"

"I'm just in a bad mood..." John grumbled.

"Well, I hope your mood is good enough for us to still hang out later?" Alexander asked and John sighed and forced a smile.

"Of course," he said, but he looked away, "I think I left something in my locker. See you later, Alexander." And he left, leaving Alexander to ponder what might have happened, and Lafayette and Hercules gave each other a knowing and worried look.

"Alexander?" came a voice from behind him and he turned around, finding James to be approaching him.

"What do you want, James?" Alexander asked, suddenly a bit uneasy. James had never approached him before after he had broken up with him. Alexander looked him up and down a moment in search of the flashlight or a bag with a flashlight-like object in it. But there was none and he frowned. James looked odd, had an odd look on his face that he recognized as utter uncertainty.

"I'd like to talk to you about something... In private, please?" he asked and, hesitantly, Alexander nodded, following James to outside and near a tree. Alexander gulped. That was the tree he had asked James out under. The memory made his stomach churn. James led him under this very tree, into its soft shade.

_I remember you two! Are you back to declare your love once more?_ The tree asked and Alexander whispered a silent 'No' and shook his head, without James noticing.

"So... What did you want to talk about?" he asked, unsure of the entire situation.

"I... broke up with Thomas yesterday..." James said and Alexander's eyes widened in surprise and slight shock.

"What? Why?" he asked and James looked at him through his eyelashes and Alexander gulped.

"I thought I was in love with him, I thought I wanted him. But I didn't. I didn't like him touching me, and my head kept drifting back to you and how you would touch me, and how I liked it when you did it. You always somehow found all the spots to touch that I loved, you can read me like an open letter, so quickly, so easily, and take my breath away. But Thomas is clumsy with his touches and with me... It just never felt right..." James admitted. Alexander didn't know how to feel about this. He hadn't anticipated this, not at all, not by a long shot.

"And what do you want now? Now that you're single again?" Alexander asked, not liking where this was going.

"Alex... I'd like to give us another chance-"

"What?!" Alexander yelped, pain and shock in his voice, taking a surprised step back which James followed him for.

"Isn't it what you want, too? We fit together so well, and I ruined it because I thought I wanted Thomas instead of you, and I was stupid and acted on it," James said, a bit confused why Alexander didn't seem happy with this.

"James, you can't do this to me- I was just getting over you- I was just about to move on from you- and you turn around and do this?" Alexander gripped at his hair and shook his head. "You can't just do this to me!"

"Please, Alex, I was stupid, I didn't know what I wanted, but now I do! I want you, Alex, please," James almost begged and Alexander shook his head.

"James, you- you hurt me. You hurt me so much. The breakup in itself wasn't what really hurt, but you wouldn't tell me a thing. You just broke up with me without telling me why. For weeks afterwards, I kept asking myself what I had done wrong, what I had done to make you upset or uncomfortable or feel unsafe, anything that _I_ must have done because it must have been my mistake, right? And now? Now I find out that you apparently broke up with me because you thought you wanted Jefferson! Why didn't you tell me that back then? I was left completely in the dark, thinking 'what did I do wrong?' and getting no answer, while you got yourself a new boyfriend and- fuck, James that _hurt_!" the pain he felt at the memory and the unfairness of this very moment tore through his body, tears welled up in his eyes and threatened to fall.

"A-Alex, I-"

"And I would have taken you back. Fuck, any second you could have changed your mind and I would have taken you back, open arms, showered you in kisses and love and affection in all the ways you claimed you hate, but actually, love. But- James, you hurt me, so fucking much," tears escaped his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.

"Would you take me back now?" James asked, "Please, Alex..."

James took a step forward, taking Alexander's face into his hands and brushing away the tears with his thumbs. It hurt to see Alexander cry. James had only ever seen him cry on a few, maybe four, select occasions: cry of happiness when James had agreed to become his boyfriend; after a nightmare, while sleeping over at James'; when James broke up with him, and now.

"I don't know. I don't know, James," he whimpered and closed his eyes, more tears escaping. He didn't want to look at James, so close to him. He felt the desire again within him, to hold him, to kiss him, but he didn't want it, or he thought. He didn't know what he wanted. He thought he wanted Aaron, he thought he was over James, but now here it was, another want, reignited like an old flame.

James, summoning all his courage he could muster up to swell in his chest, leaned forward and gently placed their lips together. Alexander's breath hitched as he felt the softness, the gentle, tender softness of James' lips on his, a sensation he had missed and longed for, and this for so long. He sobbed into the kiss, so tempted to lean in, to let this happen, but it hurt. It hurt so much. It felt so good, but it hurt so much. He didn't know if he wanted to lean in or pull away. James made that choice for him, pulling away just slightly enough for their lips to barely be apart.

"Please, Alex... I love you," James pleaded, holding his face so tenderly, Alexander wanted to melt, but he also felt the urge to bolt and run away.

"I-... It hurt so much..." Alexander sobbed, melting into the soft hands holding his face.

"I'm sorry, I want to make you feel good again. Please, let me, Alex. I love you," James pleaded again. Alexander shook his head.

"I- I need to think... I need to think about this, James, I can't-... I can't just make a decision- not yet..." he sobbed and James nodded.

"Of course... I'm so sorry, Alex, I love you. I love you and I'm sorry... I've missed you," James said, quietly, gently, kissing the tears away now from Alexander's closed eyes.

"You can't just do this to me... Fuck, I've missed you, too- so fucking much," he shook his head, throwing his arms around James, hugging him close. He needed to feel his warmth again his body. He needed to feel this so familiar and warm and safe feeling. And James was right here, right here for him, wanting to be taken back and Alexander didn't know if he wanted it too. "But I need-... I need to think this through... a lot..."

Eventually, he pulled away from James, most of his tears shed. He rubbed at his eyes and, wordlessly, he left to go to the bathroom and give his face a quick wash before he would walk to class. He still had five minutes left until the first bell would ring, five more until the second bell and them some more time until his teacher would arrive. He threw water on his face in the bathroom, trying to maybe get the red out of his eyes so his friends wouldn't worry about him. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to tell them about this, about what had just happened with James.

He didn't know what he wanted. Just a month ago, perhaps even just two weeks ago, he would have taken him back, no questions asked. But now? He wasn't sure if he could now. He still felt it, how he still felt something for him. It wasn't, he realised with a start, love anymore, but it was something. He didn't know what. Did he want him back in any way? Yes, he admitted to himself. He wanted the warmth they shared back then. He wanted back how safe he had felt. How accepted. Trusted. He wanted to feel that way again, but... he wasn't sure if taking James back, giving them another chance... he wasn't sure if that would give him those feelings back.

Suddenly, the door to the bathroom burst open, Thomas bursting in, going for the sink. He halted dead in his tracks as he spotted Alexander. Alexander was startled, even more so as he found Thomas' eyes were red and puffy. He had been crying. Of course, Alexander thought, James had broken up with him after all. After he was finally out of his surprised daze, Thomas growled and glared at Alexander.

"What did you do!" Thomas yelped, stepping closer with a threatening stance, "What did you do that James-"

"I didn't do anything!" Alexander yelped, merely in his own defence, not to make Thomas angrier.

"Th-then why did he- Why did he-" tears welled up in Thomas' eyes and he hiccuped, dropping to the floor and holding his knees to his chest. He couldn't articulate his thoughts through his tears and he began full on sobbing, much like Alexander had done when James had broken up with him. Despite himself, Alexander felt pity for Thomas. He had been in his shoes once, he knew how this felt, how shitty and awful and horrible, just in the perfect way to make you hate yourself. Watching him break down basically in front of him- he didn't like it. Especially since it was for the same reason as his very own breakup with James. He sighed, sitting down beside Thomas. Thomas just kept crying, he couldn't stop and couldn't care who he was crying right in front of. Alexander put an arm around Thomas, a bit awkwardly at first, but then just pulled him to himself. Thomas stiffened.

"Wh-what are you-" he managed to get through his sobs. Alexander's response was just to put his other arm around him as well, somewhat putting Thomas' head to his chest.

"I might not be the best person for it, but you need someone to comfort you," Alexander said, making sure he kept his voice calm, below a certain volume. James had told him his voice could be really soothing like that, in a way that made you calm and content, and he tried his best to keep it that way. It must have been working, as he felt Thomas melt gradually into him.

"Why-why did he-" Thomas sobbed and Alexander nodded. He knew the reason, but telling Thomas now would not do him any good. He'd tell him later.

"It's okay-"

"How is this okay?!" Thomas yelped through his sobs.

"It's okay, it feels awful, and that's okay. You feel like shit, you're hurt, in pain, your heart lies in pieces at your feet," Alexander said with such a soothing voice Thomas couldn't help but believe what he said and quietly nod along, steadily calming down. As his head lay against his chest, he could hear and feel Alexander's heartbeat. He closed his eyes and leant into him a little more. "And it will take a while to pick the pieces up and put them back together, but you'll be whole again."

"What if I-" he hiccuped, "What if I never-..."

"Never get over him? Been there, done that, pal," he chuckled. Thomas raised brow at 'pal'. "It will take long, it will hurt like a bitch, you will hate every second you're not with him, and you will be miserable, but... you'll get there... Eventually, with a lot of work, and maybe some help, you'll get over him."

"I forgot... that he did the same with you..." Thomas muttered. He had stopped crying. Alexander's heartbeat was so calming and his voice seemed to soothe all his troubles, smooth over the crinkles of worry, Thomas was melting against him.

"Yeah... He hadn't told me why... Now I know..." Alexander started, having noticed how much calmer Thomas was now, "He... told me he broke up with me because... he thought he wanted you..."

"He... 'thought'?" Thomas asked.

"That's... what he said... that he thought he wanted you and broke up with me because of that... Yeah... It felt about as bad as you're feeling right now..." Alexander said.

"At least you know why he broke up with you now," Thomas grumbled, no real malice against Alexander, however.

"And I feel like I know why he broke up with you, shitty as it was..." Alexander sighed, getting Thomas attention fully on him.

"What? Why? Why did he- why?" he asked, dreading the answer and subconsciously pressing himself into Alexander.

"He... asked me to take him back..." Alexander admitted. Thomas felt an even harsher pang of pain pierce his heart.

"H-how did you res-respond?" he gasped out, more tears pricking at his eyes. Alexander put his head on Thomas to give more comfort.

"James hurt me... he hurt me a lot... and I loved him so much... I don't know what my answer will be..." Alexander admitted. "By the way, I don't fault you if you don't want me to take him back, because I know you want him back and that's exactly how I felt like."

Thomas couldn't help but laugh at this, laugh with his head pressed against Alexander's chest. It was such an odd scene, Thomas tangled in Alexander's arms, pressed tightly against his smaller frame, though in this very moment Alexander seemed to be able to engulf him completely. Thomas noticed that odd scent even more now. Alexander smelled like pine, like wood and grass and earth, a warm summer's day and a cool breeze against your skin. How could Thomas only notice this now? It was such a calming scent, welcoming and warm and safe, engulfing him, just like his voice and his heartbeat, all so soothing. He breathed it in with closed eyes.

"Seriously, I was so jealous of you. You got to have him all to yourself and I just- I just kept pondering, wrecking my brain trying to figure out why he chose you over me... I lost so much sleep on that. Cried myself to sleep quite often during the first few weeks. Had to crash at John's place because I needed someone to make me sleep and comfort me when I woke up in tears again. Fuck, if I didn't have John I would not be as far over James as I am. Love that guy," Alexander giggled. Thomas felt a rush of heat in his cheeks at that noise.

"You're not?" Thomas asked.

"Over James? Not quite... If I were I wouldn't even consider taking him back, but I am and... But I'm almost there... There are still some pieces of my heart strewn about here or there, left for me to pick up but... I'm taking my time... I don't want to miss a piece and risk my heart shatter anew at a memory, fragile as it would be, incomplete," Alexander smiled sadly. 

"Since when are you so poetic?" Thomas asked with a blush on his cheeks he couldn't explain the origins of.

"Well, you wouldn't know, we're not in the same English or Writing class, and you skipped all the events when you could have heard anything I write. I know because you're impossible not to notice, what with your hair that makes you a foot taller and your bright purple jacket. And you insult me for my fashion sense," Alexander grinned.

"Your sense of-" Thomas tried but the loud ringing of the bell interrupted him quite rudely. Alexander looked up and hummed, shifting.

"We should go-" he tried to get up, but Thomas, somewhat in a panic, held onto him tightly, not ready to let Alexander's warmth go just yet. Alexander looked down at him confused and somewhat startled. "What's... what's wrong?" he asked. Thomas sucked in a breath.

"Please, just... one moment longer," he pleaded and Alexander reluctantly nodded, going back to putting his arms around Thomas, who sighed happily at the warmth and soothing scent and calming heartbeat enveloping him again and- with a start he realised this- making him feel at ease and safe. For a few more minutes, four maybe, they remained in that embrace.

Finally, Thomas could force himself to let go and Alexander took him letting go as a cue to let go as well. The moment after that was awkward and Alexander helped Thomas get to his feet and they really realised what had just happened between them. They bonded. That was extremely weird for Alexander to realise.

"Wow... this is... awkward..." Thomas pointed out in the silence, "Can we just... pretend this never happened?"

"Nah. I mean, I won't tell anyone, but isn't something I want to pretend didn't happen. And hey, we finally got something in common! So if anyone asks us ever again if we have anything in common we can say 'Yeah, we got dumped for the other by the same guy'," Alexander grinned and Thomas let out a snort. "Besides, you liked it, don't lie," Alexander teased, sticking out his tongue at Thomas.

"I did not!" Thomas insisted and Alexander rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Yeah, says the guy who didn't want to let me go. Come on, we got the same class. Get your ass a'movin', Thomas," Alexander smirked and headed to the door, "You coming?"

"Uh," he was a bit startled by Alexander using his first name, "Uh, yeah, I- I'm coming."

Everyone was surprised and, to some degree, shocked to find Alexander and Thomas walking so closely to each other to class, without a single insult being thrown around. They didn't talk, a rarity for Alexander, but they also seemed very fine with the other's presence, which was less of a rarity and more of something that had never happened before. It made people, who had nothing better to do, talk and gossip. Everyone had heard about the breakup between Thomas and James at this point. And thusly people began to gossip.

Alexander didn't hear any of the gossip, while James and Thomas did. The gossip exploded throughout the rest of the day, despite them not being near each other for the rest of the school day at all. The day ended relatively soon and Alexander walked out the front doors with a sigh, stretching his arms and yawning. He was too tired for anything.

Then, he was approached by John, who was grinning brightly at him. The moment Lafayette and Hercules had heard about the gossip (after Lafayette making sure there was no truth to it by asking Thomas), they had made sure John heard none of the gossip himself and get the wrong impression and not even try executing his own plans.

"John! What's up! Dude, I didn't see you at all today! Where were you?" he grinned in response to John's grin.

"Sorry, Laf and Herc kept dragging me all over the place. But anyway, let's go to the mall. I don't think we were at the diner I want to take you to," John smiled.

"Yeah! Free food!" Alexander cheered and John laughed at his antics, leading him to his car.

He opened the car door most dramatically for Alexander.

"Madame," he grinned with a bow.

"Oh, what a gentleman!" Alexander snorted, getting into the car. John got into the driver's seat, throwing his backpack into the backseat and started the car, getting it out of the parking lot and onto the road. The ride to the mall was loud with singing (screaming) the lyrics to their favourite songs when they came on and loud laughter at a joke or silly face. James' confession from that morning completely out of Alexander's mind. Really, everything that had happened that day was utterly out of Alexander's mind, replaced by John's latest joke about his height, for which he punched his shoulder a little harder than intended.

Eventually, they arrived at the mall, John basically dragging Alexander to the diner with an excited grin.

 

The diner was okay. The food wasn't spectacular, but it wasn't awful. Alexander really didn't care that the food wasn't that good, he devoured it, basically inhaled it, nonetheless. He wasn't a picky eater and ate everything presented on a table. A habit he had gained from some particular time in his life and kept. Though, at the beginning of their friendship (when John, Lafayette and Hercules wanted to spoil him with food), he had kept asking and asking about what food he was allowed to eat, and exactly how much. They had been able, through collective effort and after a lot of time, to help him get rid of that habit he had kept from another time of his life.

The diner was now behind them. Alexander was stuffed full of mediocre food, yawning and tired. Alexander kinda just wanted to go home and sleep, but at the same time, he wanted to spend more time with John, his best friend since the moment he had arrived at this school. He really liked John, liked his presence, so comforting and calming, he just loved it. He couldn't ever bear losing him, for anything.

They then drove to the park that had just recently been opened. Only a few people were there at this time of day, it was late evening, after all. John led Alexander around, who grinned at everything around him, listening to the conversations the trees were having with each other. Some of them complained about having been taken from a spot they had claimed as theirs, some marvelled at the new place, being excited about having been brought someplace new. It was interesting, the trees sharing their stories with each other. The birds were more quiet, considering the time of day, but some were still out and about and very loud about looking for a mate.

But he managed to ignore the conversations that were loudly held around him, in favour of paying attention to another one of John's jokes. He loved John's jokes, they never failed to make him laugh, or cringe-laugh at how bad they were. Either way, they were always very enjoyable.

He laughed particularly hard at a certain joke that had him doubling over in laughter. John looked very proud of himself for accomplishing this and getting this reaction. John grinned. Alexander was having a good time. John nodded to himself, summoning all the courage he didn't have. Slowly, hesitating so bloody much, he took Alexander's hand in his. Alexander looked at him surprised and somewhat confused, waiting for John to give an explanation for the sudden hand-holding. John opened his mouth, but no sound came out at first.

Alexander waited patiently, even as John began stammering and stuttering.

"I-I, well- fuck, sorry, I- I mean- fuck, why can't I just do this?" John groaned and Alexander snorted.

"Okay, let's just sit down somewhere and you can try to articulate what's up," he grinned and John nodded quickly, following as Alexander- who hadn't made a move to let go of his hand and John thanked fate and all the gods that may or may not exist for this blessed moment before he would be inevitably rejected- led him to the nearest bench, which was sitting right under a tree with some squirrels arguing.

They sat down and John stared at their hands, still intertwined and he sighed, pushing some of his hair back to try and calm himself.

"Okay... Okay... I know you appreciate honesty above all else, so I'll be honest with you... Fuck, I'm making this weird-"

"You're not. Keep going," Alexander encouraged. John smiled at him, so grateful for how patient Alexander was with him. A sort of patience Alexander didn't usually have for other people.

"Okay..." he nodded to himself. Just get this over quickly. Like ripping off a band-aid. "I've had a crush on you for the past year!" he rushed out quickly. Alexander blinked, more surprised than he honestly should be. The tree behind him cooed excitedly, and even the squirrels had their attention on them (mainly because Alexander was part of this pair).

"Oh... Ohhhhh. Oh, okay," Alexander nodded.

"Is that weird? Like, I don't expect you to feel the same for me in any way but... You know, is this weird? Does this make things weird?" John asked in a rush, his face completely red and his eyes full of worry.

"No, it's not weird. I..." Alexander's mind was suddenly reeling with thoughts. He had developed feelings for Aaron- or that's how interpreted what he felt around him- and James had asked to be taken back, and now- he wasn't sure what to do or even what to think for that matter. "I just don't know how I feel. I like you, really like you, but I have no idea if it's romantic or not and... so many things have happened, today alone, and... But I'm really glad you told me," Alexander said and John nodded.

"I just don't want this to change anything between us if you don't feel the same... that's my biggest fear, I think, that you'll find this weird and that this makes things weird and- I should really stop talking..." he groaned, "I don't know what I want right now. But I think I'd appreciate being friendzoned right now if it meant things won't change."

"Things won't change like how you fear they will. No matter what, whether I like you like you like me or not, you will be my bestest best friend in either scenario," Alexander assured and John nodded, "I'm just happy you were honest with me."

"I think I need a hug right now..."

Alexander dove right in for a tight hug, trying, with all his might, to make John feel as reassured as humanly possible. Eventually, John began smiling and he pulled away.

"Feel better?" he asked and John nodded.

"Infinitely better, now that I told you. Holy shit, it's like getting a mountain off my heart," he sighed, "Thanks, dude. For everything, I mean and- fuck, you're the best. How are you so fucking understanding?"

"Eh, no clue," he shrugged with a grin. "Come on, it's late. I'm stuffed and tired and in desperate need to think everything over in the depressing quiet of my home."

John snorted at this and got up, reluctantly letting go of Alexander's hand.

"Yeah, let's go..." he grinned and led the way, Alexander following close by him. They quickly fell back into pleasant conversation, though the weight of John's confession still lay on them both quite heavily.

The ride back home was a lot quieter than either would have liked, but both had told all they could have told, jokes and stories and all. It wasn't really awkward, it was a lot more pleasant than either had anticipated it would be. Alexander hopped out of the car the moment they had arrived at his home and waved John good-bye.

He unlocked the door and entered his home, closing the door behind him, leaning against it and sighing.

"What the fuck was that kind of day today?" he said out loud and made for his room.

He smiled tiredly the moment he saw Aaron waiting, floating just above the bed, for him. Aaron grinned right back.

"Welcome home! How was your day?" Aaron asked and Alexander chuckled tiredly and threw himself onto the bed.

"It was super weird... So much happened and... yeah, a lot happened..." Alexander sighed.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Aaron asked.

"Very much, yeah... So... Let's start with this morning... James... I told you about him, right?"

"I recall he broke up with you without stating a reason for it?" Aaron asked and Alexander nodded.

"Yeah, he... he asked me to take him back..." he muttered and Aaron gasped in surprise. "He... he said that he had thought he wanted Thomas- but that he realised he didn't and... and that he wanted to get back together... And I had to comfort Thomas today, because James had broken up with him yesterday, apparently? And just ten minutes ago, John... John confessed he has a crush on me..."

"How," Aaron began after a moment of silence, "How did you respond to them?"

"I didn't say yes to either, just... I don't know what I should do right now. I think I'm in love with you, and then I want to take James back so badly, and now there's John and- I just don't fucking know what to do?" he threw an arm over his eyes and groaned.

Aaron looked conflicted. What should he say?

Should he be selfish and ask Alexander to love him?

Should he let him be with his best friend?

Should he allow him to take back James, despite the risks?

Should he advise him to find love elsewhere?

Or should he tell him not to go for anyone?

What should he do?

**Author's Note:**

> Things used:  
> -Parts of the song 'Harvey's New Eyes Theme Song - Needle and Stich' (which is a great song, both in english and german, and the game is great too, play it!)  
> -A Poem by yours truly (it's an older poem by me and I thought it might fit)  
> -a changed version of the song/poem I wrote for my other fic 'Forgotten; Worshipped', because I couldn't come up with something new at the time but wanted to get the scene done
> 
> This fic will have alternate endings which I will not post as new chapters. Instead, this will be a Series. Something to look forward to if you (for whatever reason) liked this fic!


End file.
